Vasilii Balanov: High-Performance Photoferroelectric Ceramics for Energy Harvesting and Wireless Sensing

High-Performance Photoferroelectric Ceramics for Energy Harvesting and Wireless Sensing

By Vasilii Balanov

Overview

Ambient energy surrounds us every day—heat, vibrations, sunlight. Practically any of these sources can be turned into useful energy instead of being wasted. Developing materials capable of harvesting ubiquitous energy is therefore a crucial task, and this is the focus of my research.

We work on ferroelectric materials, which possess a unique ability to capture energy from multiple sources.

Research & Innovation

For example, modern solar cells and photosensors still rely on semiconductor technology developed back in the 1960s. Ferroelectrics, however, have the potential to go beyond the fundamental Shockley–Queisser limit and become a true game changer in energy harvesting technologies.

In our group, we concentrate on methods that enhance ferroelectrics’ sensitivity to light and improve their photoresponse. To achieve this, we use co-doping strategies and have also introduced an innovative AC-poling technique.

Research Journey

This journey would not be nearly as smooth and productive without the invaluable support of the Walter Ahlström Foundation.

I received my first grant in 2022, at a time when I had just moved abroad and my financial situation was far from stable. The support allowed me to upgrade essential hardware and obtain materials necessary for the early stages of my research.

Impact

Our results were later presented at one of the key conferences in the field—ECAPD 2024—where they were approved by peers. My participation became possible thanks to the Foundation.

Attending the conference helped me establish new scientific connections, saved the considerable effort normally spent on securing travel funding, and allowed me to focus fully on my experiments. As a result, it significantly accelerated the progress of my doctoral work, which I plan to defend in 2026.

Outlook

In that same year, I will also take part in ECAPD 2026 in Oulu, this time as a member of the organizing committee.

Even more insights will be shared there, and many of the opportunities that led me to this point were made possible thanks to the continued support of the Walter Ahlström Foundation.