Ultrafast detection of charged photocarriers in conjugated polymers

Daniel Moses, Arthur Dogariu, Alan J. Heeger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

125 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ultrafast measurements of transient excited-state absorption in the spectral region spanning the infrared-active vibrational active (IRAV) modes in the prototypical luminescent polymers, poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) and poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-(phenylene vinylene)] (MEH-PPV), reveal charge carrier generation within 100 fs after photoexcitation. The photocarrier quantum efficiency in MEH-PPV is (Formula presented) in zero applied electric field. There is no correlation between the temporal behavior of the photoinduced IRAV signals and the exciton lifetime. Thus, carriers are photoexcited directly and not generated via a secondary process from exciton annihilation. Comparison of the recombination dynamics in MEH-PPV and PPV demonstrates the importance of the strength of interchain interaction on the carrier recombination dynamics. The quantum efficiency is the same (Formula presented) when the system is pumped either at photon energies well above the first (Formula presented) transition (at 267 nm, 4.7 eV) or when pumped into the first (Formula presented) transition (at 400 nm, 3.1 eV). The carrier lifetime, however, increases at the higher photon energy, providing a natural explanation for the increase in the photoconductivity at photon pump energies above 3 eV.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)9373-9379
Number of pages7
JournalPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume61
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - 2000
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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