Probing the Structural and Electronic Properties of Thin Film Energy Materials Under Highly-Controlled and Extreme Strain Conditions

Introducing lattice strain in functional materials is an unconventional strategy to boost their energy efficiency and performance beyond classic limits. Our ‘lab-on-chip’ approach consists of a single wafer device in which thousands of identical films are present under different strain conditions, in contrast to state-of-the-art approaches where only single strain levels are achieved. Here, the aim is to apply spatially resolved XAS to chart the structural and electronic property evolution across a broad and quasi-continuous range of strain conditions applied by the lab-on-chip device. By applying this approach for metal and metal halide perovskite thin films, unparalleled laws will be established between (i) the applied strain and (ii) the structure and electronic material properties, ultimately enabling one-to-one links to their performance.