Photonically Strongly Coupled Organic/Inorganic Nanocomposites for Light Emitter and Photovoltaic Applications

在这项研究中，基本的光子现象与纳米尺度上的新型有机/无机插层介质相结合，目的是为从紧凑型光发射器到新型光伏电池的应用提供特别强的光-物质相互作用。该工作的智力价值在于创造了有机-无机杂化光子材料，其电子激发耦合超出了微扰状态，以增强光-物质相互作用，这超过了目前光学器件的水平。这是通过共振相互作用材料的特殊组合来实现的，利用两类材料，每种材料都具有显著的光学振荡器强度，但在高度对比的电子环境中。杂化纳米介质的有机子组分由j聚集体聚合物形成，在可见光和近红外的窄光谱范围内表现出特殊的吸收和发射。光谱上与有机组分匹配的是无机胶体II-VI半导体量子点，它们分别通过激发和电荷转移提供到有机和外部电界面的途径。插入混合介质的关键物理特征是共振电磁激励传递，在室温下，作为两个子系统内部的电子能量传递通道，其效率接近100%。所提出的工作的更广泛的影响是有可能将异常高性能的全新有源光子材料插入到功能性光电器件中，例如光发射器和光伏电池，在可见光到近红外光谱部分的高光谱上传播。该装置的目标是寻找新的应用空间，目前无法通过无机和有机半导体的传统方法分别实现这些技术，包括视觉艺术。从科学上讲，基于无机和有机材料/器件的主动光学技术的两个相当独立的分支之间的桥梁，提供了一个新的棱镜来看待新兴光子技术的协同和愿景的机会，以及跨学科新一代技术人员的培训。创新，结构灵活，空间可扩展的光子材料的主题也为拓展和连接科学提供了一个很好的工具，包括本科生的实验室经验和GK-12的教学辅助，后者利用布朗大学优秀的拓展基础设施。

"Photonically Strongly Coupled Organic/Inorganic Nanocomposites for LightEmitter and Photovoltaic Applications" (ECCS-0725740)In this research, fundamental photonic phenomena are combined with new types of organic/inorganic intercalated media on the nanoscale, with the aim to derive exceptionally strong light-matter interaction for applications ranging from compact light emitters to novel photovoltaics. The intellectual merit of the work lies in creating organic-inorganic hybrid photonic materials whose electronic excitations couple beyond the perturbative regime for enhanced light- matter interaction, which exceeds that in present optical devices. This is accomplished by special combination of resonantly interacting materials, exploiting two classes of material which each possess significant optical oscillator strengths, but in a highly contrasting electronic environment. The organic subcomponent of the hybrid nanoscale media is formed from J-aggregate polymers which exhibit exceptional absorption and emission concentrated in narrow spectral ranges across the visible and near infrared. Spectrally matching the organic components are inorganic colloidal II-VI semiconductor quantum dots, which provide pathways via excitation and charge transfer to the organic and external electrical interfaces, respectively. The key physical feature of the intercalated hybrid medium is resonant electromagnetic excitation transfer, which can have near 100% efficiency as an electronic energy transfer channel within the two subsystems, at room temperature.The broader impact of the proposed work is the potential to insert exceptionally high performance entirely new active photonic material into functional optoelectronic devices, such as light emitters and photovoltaics, spread hyperspectrally across the visible into the near IR portions of the spectrum. The device goals aim to search for novel application spaces presently not accessible or enabled by conventional approaches to these technologies by inorganic and organic semiconductors, respectively, including visual arts. Scientifically, bridging the two rather separate branches of active optical technologies, based on inorganic and organic materials/devices, offers a new prism to view opportunities for synergy and vision to emerging photonics technologies, as well as training of interdisciplinary new generation of technologists. The subject matter of innovative, and structurally flexible and spatially extendable photonic materials offers also an excellent vehicle for outreach and connection to science, including lab experience for undergraduates and teaching aids for GK-12, the latter exploiting Brown University's excellent outreach infrastructure.