A very rugged crystal that is made up of structures similar to calcium titanate (CaTiO
3). Used in solar cells, LEDs, semiconductors and superconductors, perovskite has exceptional electrical properties. Very flexible and tunable, it shares the same crystal structure as the earth's mantle, which begins about five miles below the oceans and is approximately 1,800 miles deep.
However, perovskite is not mined. It is chemically synthesized in a lab from lead, tin and other elements. The name comes from Russian mineralogist Lev A. Perovkski, who named the material in 1839.
Solar Cell Window Shades
In 2018, using perovskite and carbon nanotube technologies, the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Golden, Colorado developed window glass that emits electricity and darkens with sunshine. When the sun fades, the window becomes transparent again. See
perovskite solar cell.