Meet Agustin O. Alvarez: contactless diagnostics for next-generation solar cells

Agustin is turning Intensity-Modulated Photoluminescence Spectroscopy (IMPLS) into a practical tool for rapidly and non-destructively diagnosing next-generation solar cells built from perovskite materials.

Many existing techniques require electrical contacts, which means they can only be applied once a device is fully assembled. By modulating the illumination and reading the emitted-light response, IMPLS can expose performance limitations much earlier in fabrication, catching problems before the device is even finished. The reach of the technology extends well beyond perovskites. Because it works across a broad range of materials and devices, it could become a go-to instrument for research, manufacturing, and quality control in many fields, saving time and materials and reducing waste in the process.

Proven principle
The technology sits at roughly TRL 4: the measurement principle has been proven, a lab prototype is operational, and the team is preparing to demonstrate it to an external academic partner. Within two years, Agustin plans to have launched an AMOLF spin-off, brought the first commercial IMPLS instrument to market, and built a customer base among research labs, with an initial commercial agreement with a perovskite manufacturer as a first step toward industrial application.

I am convinced that bringing these two sides together will give me an exceptional opportunity to translate scientific knowledge into meaningful real-world impact

Exceptional opportunity
He sees the programme arriving at an ideal moment. “As perovskite technologies move closer to commercialisation, the need for fast and reliable diagnostic tools is growing,” he explains. “After years of developing my scientific expertise, I am eager to pursue my long-standing interest in entrepreneurship. I am convinced that bringing these two sides together will give me an exceptional opportunity to translate scientific knowledge into meaningful real-world impact.”

Agustin describes his first experiences as extremely positive and enriching. “It has made me think more deeply about the many challenges involved in building a successful venture and, more importantly, has already given me practical tools to address them.” He values the close guidance from coaches and experts and the motivation he draws from the other fellows.

He hopes to build an entrepreneurial mindset and skill set on top of his scientific expertise and to strengthen his leadership skills. In return, he brings an open, collaborative spirit: “I genuinely enjoy helping others and creating an atmosphere in which people feel comfortable sharing ideas, questions, and challenges. I strongly believe that by working together, we can achieve more and better results.”

Agustin is one of four new Faculty of Impact fellows we are introducing this month. Their fields could hardly be more different: solar optics, perovskite diagnostics, robotic touch and quantum timing. Yet all four are driven by the same conviction: that science earns its fullest meaning when it leaves the laboratory and reaches the people who need it. Meet Lisanne Einhaus, Alexander A. Oliva and Louis Gallagher.