Vista • Mount Holyoke College • Fall/Winter 2011 • Vol. 16 No. 2

Alexi Arango

Assistant Professor of Physics

Research Area: Third-Generation Solar Cells Education: Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; B.S., University of California, Santa Cruz Joined MHC: 2010

The Basic Idea: Current solar cells and present technology are perfectly adequate. The potential, however, of some new semiconducting materials to further solar energy’s impact is extremely alluring. In my lab, we’re using them to create solar cells that are easy to manufacture and can be implemented in innovative ways. Molecular dyes, for example, could potentially allow us to print solar cells on large fabrics to make a football field-size solar module that, when rolled off the edge of a skyscraper, creates an instantaneous solar power plant. We’re also experimenting with quantum dots, which are tiny spheres of semiconductor that are only a few tens of atoms in diameter.

The Context: During the past decade, there has been an explosion in the number of solar cells installed worldwide and it will continue until it becomes difficult both to find space to put the solar cells and to keep up with manufacturing demand. That’s exactly why we’re taking a long-term view—this research envisions the solar landscape in ten to twenty years.

The Lab: When I left MIT, my colleagues were a bit jealous that Mount Holyoke students would have access to this type of facility. I don’t think any other research institution in the country has a lab quite like this. I custom designed it solely for creating and testing solar cells. The lab features a glove box that has state-of-the-art ability to spin-coat, thermally evaporate, and deposit materials. A team of student researchers helped with every aspect of the lab’s construction.

The Advantages: The solar cell industry is rapidly expanding and few scientists have been trained in solar cell physics. To enter a graduate program already knowing so much about this science and having experience with such sophisticated equipment will put Mount Holyoke students a big step ahead. They’re also gaining tremendous skills that can transfer to a range of technology fields. For example, we are using complicated CAD software to design parts of the equipment; it’s industry standard for manufacturing. I remind students that with these skills, they could design a car that actually could be built.

The Matter of Gender: As an undergraduate, I was mentored in experimental physics by a female scientist. It’s always been my experience that women do science, but that is not true statistically. I came to Mount Holyoke because it’s a fantastic opportunity to work with smart women and encourage their aspirations. I also believe that some of the fundamental imbalances of our times, such as ecological destruction and risky behavior in financial sectors, can be traced back to gender and ethnic inequalities among our leadership. Mount Holyoke is helping right that by offering women the preparation and confidence to lead.

For more on physics at MHC: YouTube/mountholyokecollege.