School of Engineering

Memsol: A Self-Protecting Perovskite Solar Cell Concept Published in Nature

With "Memsol", we developed a new concept to mitigate reverse-bias damage

Illustration of partial shading on a perovskite solar module, which consists of many solar cells connected in series. Shown are three cells, the right one illuminated and the other two shaded. The left one gets damaged by the voltage generated by the illuminated cells, which was a so-far unresolved issue in perovskite solar cells. The middle one visualizes the invention of this work, where an integrated memristor allows for current flow under shading and thus protection of the cell.

We are excited to announce our latest publication in Nature (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10275-3), where we introduce Memsol—a new solar cell concept that addresses one of the most critical challenges facing perovskite photovoltaics: instability under reverse bias.

Perovskite solar cells have achieved remarkable efficiencies and offer a pathway toward low-cost, energy-efficient solar energy. However, their sensitivity to reverse-bias conditions—commonly caused by partial shading or series-connected operation—has limited their real-world deployment.

With Memsol, we take a fundamentally new approach. Instead of only improving device robustness, we integrate a memristor directly into the solar cell, enabling it to actively protect itself during operation.

The memristor is realized through area-selective deposition of a metal–insulator stack and shares the perovskite layer and electrodes with the solar-cell component. This compact design allows the device to dynamically respond to operating conditions.

What makes Memsol unique:

  • It remains stable under reverse bias, eliminating a major degradation pathway
  • It automatically switches between a low-resistance bypass mode and normal solar-cell operation
  • It functions as both a solar cell and a built-in bypass element, potentially removing the need for external bypass diodes

We validated the concept under reverse-bias and shading conditions and demonstrated its functionality in a nine-cell series string—bringing it closer to real module operation.

Memsol opens a new direction for designing more reliable and scalable perovskite solar technologies. We anticipate that this concept can be implemented in large-area modules, helping accelerate the commercialization of perovskite photovoltaics.

Read the full paper, “Integrated memristor for mitigating reverse-bias in perovskite solar cells”, available in Nature at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10275-3.

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