Tom BraeckeveltView profile
Research Fellow
Tom Braeckevelt is a Research Fellow at Ghent University, Belgium, working within the computational materials science group led by Prof. Veronique Van Speybroeck. Based at Tech Lane Ghent Science Park (Technologiepark 46, Zwijnaarde), he collaborates extensively with experimental teams including Prof. Johan Hofkens (photophysics) and Prof. Sara Bals (electron microscopy), bridging theoretical modeling with advanced characterization techniques to solve stability challenges in next-generation photovoltaics. Education: PhD in Materials Science, Ghent University (2018). Dissertation: Designing 2D hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites for game-changing photovoltaics , supervised by Prof. Veronique Van Speybroeck and Dr. Kurt Lejaeghere. His research centers on perovskite stability mechanisms through multiscale computational modeling (DFT, machine learning potentials, molecular dynamics) integrated with experimental validation (TEM, GIWAXS, spectroscopy). Key focus areas include phase transition kinetics, strain engineering, doping strategies, and interfacial design for cesium lead halide perovskites. This work addresses critical barriers to commercial solar cell deployment, particularly ambient-condition stability and efficiency retention. From 2019-2025, Dr. Braeckevelt co-authored 13 high-impact publications including Science (2019), Nature Communications (2022), and ACS Nano (2025), demonstrating progression from fundamental phase transition studies to machine learning-enhanced stability solutions. Recent work expands into covalent organic frameworks and rare-event sampling algorithms, reflecting methodological diversification while maintaining photovoltaic applications as the core driver. No scientific awards or fellowships were documented in the source materials. Supported by institutional research grants at Ghent University, Dr. Braeckevelt has presented findings at 8+ international conferences including PSCO19 (Lausanne), ICAMM (Rennes), and DFT2022 (Brussels). His invited talk at the 2025 Eindhoven Psiflow workshop highlights growing recognition in machine learning for perovskites. No student supervision roles were indicated in current position. He operates within Ghent's integrated materials research ecosystem, contributing to cross-disciplinary projects that combine computational prediction with nanoscale characterization to accelerate renewable energy technology development.










