Self‐Powered Sensors Enabled by Wide‐Bandgap Perovskite Indoor Photovoltaic Cells

Abstract

AbstractA new approach to ubiquitous sensing for indoor applications is presented, using low‐cost indoor perovskite photovoltaic cells as external power sources for backscatter sensors. Wide‐bandgap perovskite photovoltaic cells for indoor light energy harvesting are presented with the 1.63 and 1.84 eV devices that demonstrate efficiencies of 21% and 18.5%, respectively, under indoor compact fluorescent lighting, with a champion open‐circuit voltage of 0.95 V in a 1.84 eV cell under a light intensity of 0.16 mW cm−2. Subsequently, a wireless temperature sensor self‐powered by a perovskite indoor light‐harvesting module is demonstrated. Three perovskite photovoltaic cells are connected in series to create a module that produces 14.5 µW output power under 0.16 mW cm−2 of compact fluorescent illumination with an efficiency of 13.2%. This module is used as an external power source for a battery‐assisted radio‐frequency identification temperature sensor and demonstrates a read range by of 5.1 m while maintaining very high frequency measurements every 1.24 s. The combined indoor perovskite photovoltaic modules and backscatter radio‐frequency sensors are further discussed as a route to ubiquitous sensing in buildings given their potential to be manufactured in an integrated manner at very low cost, their lack of a need for battery replacement, and the high frequency data collection possible.