Dr. Kuciauskas is a senior scientist in a Spectroscopy and Photoscience group, where he works on electro-optical characterization of photovoltaic (PV) and electronic materials and devices. His laboratory includes two femtosecond laser systems, low-temperature and time-resolved photoluminescence spectrometers, and a microscope for time-resolved correlative optical measurements. Research is supported by the DOE EERE SunShot projects on increasing the efficiency and reliability of PV solar cells. We actively collaborate within NREL, with university PV groups and the PV industry. Dr. Kuciauskas has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in applied physics, materials science, photovoltaics, and physical chemistry.

Research Interests

• Technique development for spectroscopic and microscopic electro-optical characterization
• Defect analysis in semiconductors and devices
• Metastability and degradation analysis in solar cells
• Characterization of semiconductor passivation and doping
• CdTe, CIGS, kesterites, perovskites, and other PV materials and solar cells

Education

Postdoctoral Scholar, California Institute of Technology

Ph.D. Chemistry, Arizona State University 

Diploma Physics, Vilnius University

Featured Work

Kuciauskas et al., “Time-resolved correlative optical microscopy of charge-carrier transport, recombination, and space-charge fields in CdTe heterostructures,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 110, 83905 (2017), DOI: 10.1063/1.4976696

Kuciauskas et al., “The impact of Cu on recombination in high voltage CdTe solar cells,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 243906 (2015), DOI: 10.1063/1.4938127

Kuciauskas et al., “Charge-carrier dynamics in polycrystalline thin-film CuIn1−xGaxSe2 photovoltaic devices after pulsed laser excitation: Interface and space-charge region analysis,” J. Appl. Phys. 117, 185102 (2015), DOI: 10.1063/1.4921011

Ma, Kuciauskas, et al., “Dependence of the minority-carrier lifetime on the stoichiometry of CdTe using time-resolved photoluminescence and first-principles calculations,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 67402 (2013), DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.067402