Visualization of exciton transport in ordered and disordered molecular solids

Gleb M. Akselrod (), Parag B. Deotare, Nicholas J. Thompson, Jiye Lee, William A. Tisdale, Marc A. Baldo, Vinod M. Menon and Vladimir Bulović
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Gleb M. Akselrod: Center for Excitonics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Parag B. Deotare: Center for Excitonics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Nicholas J. Thompson: Center for Excitonics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Jiye Lee: Center for Excitonics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
William A. Tisdale: Center for Excitonics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Marc A. Baldo: Center for Excitonics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Vinod M. Menon: Queens College and Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Vladimir Bulović: Center for Excitonics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Transport of nanoscale energy in the form of excitons is at the core of photosynthesis and the operation of a wide range of nanostructured optoelectronic devices such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes and excitonic transistors. Of particular importance is the relationship between exciton transport and nanoscale disorder, the defining characteristic of molecular and nanostructured materials. Here we report a spatial, temporal and spectral visualization of exciton transport in molecular crystals and disordered thin films. Using tetracene as an archetype molecular crystal, the imaging reveals that exciton transport occurs by random walk diffusion, with a transition to subdiffusion as excitons become trapped. By controlling the morphology of the thin film, we show that this transition to subdiffusive transport occurs at earlier times as disorder is increased. Our findings demonstrate that the mechanism of exciton transport depends strongly on the nanoscale morphology, which has wide implications for the design of excitonic materials and devices.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4646

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