Laser properties of a conjugate polymer (MEH-PPV) in the liquid-excimeric state

We have studied the amplified spontaneous-emission characteristics (ASE) of conjugated poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)1,4-phenylenevinylene] MEH-PPV in a few organic solutions. The ASE of MEH-PPV appears to arise from its excimeric state. This is perhaps the first report, to the best of our knowledge, on an excimeric-liquid state laser. MEH-PPV in solutions of benzene or tetrahydrofuran (THF) was pumped by the second and third harmonics of an Nd:YAG (532 and 355 nm) for different pump-pulse energies. The ASE of MEH-PPV was compared with the conventional laser dyes Rhodamine B (Rh B) and Rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G). The most important and distinguishing features are: (a) MEH-PPV has a four-times better photochemical stability than Rh B or Rh 6G; (b) the threshold and concentration for the laser action in MEH-PPV is far less than Rh B or Rh 6G.     

Tetraalkoxylated-PPV derivative: An efficient and pure green electroluminescent polymer with good solution processability

A new solution-processable tetraalkoxy-substituted poly(1,4-phenylenevinylene) derivative, poly{[2-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-3,5,6-trimethoxy]-1,4-phenylenevinylene} (TALK-PPV), was synthesized through a dehydrohalogenation polymerization route, and its light-emitting properties were investigated. The TALK-PPV showed highly blue-shifted UV–visible absorption and PL emission spectra compared to the dialkoxy-substituted PPV derivatives. This is because of the disturbance to the π-conjugation caused by a steric hindered structure. The TALK-PPV thin film exhibited an absorption peak at 446 nm, with an onset at 515 nm. Its PL emission maximum was at 554 nm. Cyclic voltammetric analysis showed the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the TALK-PPV to be 5.77 and 3.36 eV, respectively. Light-emitting devices were fabricated with an ITO (indium-tin oxide)/PEDOT/polymer/Ca/Al configuration. The TALK-PPV component leads to pure green light emission with a CIE 1931 chromaticity of (0.20, 0.74) at 100 cd/m² brightness, which is very close to the standard green (0.21, 0.71) demanded by the NTSC (National Television System Committee). The maximum brightness of this device was 24,900 cd/m² with an efficiency of 1.45 cd/A.     

The synthesis of MDMO-PPV capped PbS nanorods and their application in solar cells

Poly[2-methoxy-5-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MDMO-PPV) capped PbS nanorods about 100 nm in diameter and 400 nm in length were synthesized via a hydrothermal route in toluene and dimethylsulfoxide solution. By blending the PbS nanorods with the MDMO-PPV as the active layer, bulk heterojunction solar cells with an indium tin oxide (ITO)/polyethylenedioxythiophene/polystyrenesulphonate (PEDOT: PSS)/MDMO-PPV: PbS nanorods/Al structure were fabricated in a N₂ filled glove box. Current density–voltage characterization of the devices showed that the solar cells with PbS nanorods hybrid with MDMO-PPV as active layer were better in performance than the devices with the polymer only.     

Excimer state of a conjugate polymer (MEH-PPV) in liquid solutions

The conjugated polymer poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) is an important electrooptical material, which is useable as an excellent laser media. In this paper, we present the absorption and fluorescence spectral characteristics of MEH-PPV in a few organic solvents. The paper shows that MEH-PPV exists in an excimeric state in benzene, and that the laser action as shown here arises from a liquid excimeric state.     

Förster-type energy transfer mechanism in PF2/6 to MEH-PPV conjugated polymers

Energy transfer mechanism between Poly[9,9-di-(2′-ethylhexyl)fluorenyl-2,7-diyl] (PF_2/6) as a donor and poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) as an acceptor in different solvents has been studied using steady-state emission measurements. Four different solvents namely, tetrahydrofuran (THF), toluene, chlorobenzene (C.B) and benzene have been used in this study. The absorption and luminescence behaviors of the samples are measured at a fixed concentration of donor (0.1 μM) while the concentrations for acceptor are kept in the range of 0.1–1.0 μM. Based on these measurements, the energy transfer properties namely quenching rate constant (k_SV), energy transfer rate constant (k_ET), energy transfer probability (P_DA), transfer efficiency (η) and critical distance of energy transfer (R_o) are calculated. The use of THF resulted in the highest energy transfer. Long range dipole–dipole interaction between the excited donor and ground state acceptor molecules is the dominant mechanism responsible for the energy transfer as proven by the large values of R_o.     

Low-Threshold Conjugated Polymer Distributed Feedback Lasers on InP Substrate

We demonstrate a low threshold polymer solid state thin-film distributed feedback （DFB） laser on an InP substrate with the DFB structure. The used gain medium is conjugated polymer poly[2-methoxy-5-（2-ethylhexyloxy）-l, 4- phenylenevinylene] （MEH-PPV） doped polystyrene （PS） and formed by drop-coating method. The second order Bragg scattering region on the InP substrate gave rise to strong feedback, thus a lasing emission at 638.9nm with a line width of 1.2nm is realized when pumped by a 532nm frequency-doubled Nd：YAG pulsed laser. The devices show a laser threshold as low as 7n J/pulse.     

Plasmon Activation and Luminescence Quenching of Solutions of Polyphenylene Vinylene (MEH-PPV) by Single-Walled and Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Optics and Spectroscopy - The spectral and luminescent properties of benzene and toluene solutions of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) with single-walled and...     

聚合物和小分子叠层结构有机太阳电池研究

旋涂法和真空蒸发结合制备了MEH-PPV:PCBM体异质结和CuPc/C60有机小分子叠层有机太阳电池. 测试结果表明:MEH-PPV:PCBM有源层和Ag中间层分别为50 nm和0.5 nm时,与同等厚度有源层的MEH-PPV:PCBM体异质结器件和CuPc/C60小分子器件相比,叠层器件太阳能转换效率大大提高,达到了1.86%. 关键词： 聚(2-甲氧基,5-(2-乙基-乙氧基)-对苯乙炔) 铜酞菁 叠层结构 太阳电池     

Threshold gain analysis of second order distributed feedback lasers based on [2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene]

We present a theoretical study of the threshold analysis of second order surface emitting distributed feedback lasers based on the polymer [2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV). A coupled mode formalism that includes radiation modes is used to describe the propagation of the waves in the periodically corrugated region. A detailed calculation of the threshold gain of the laser that includes the effects of the radiation modes is described.     

Laser from external energy transfer of MEH–PPV conjugated polymer

Mixtures made of poly[2-methyl-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH–PPV) conducting polymer and cresyl violet 670 have been utilized for studying the amplified spontaneous emission characteristics (ASE) in an organic solution under laser excitation. In our earlier communication, we had shown that MEH–PPV alone could produce ASE under pulsed Nd: YAG laser excitation only in its excimeric state. In a follow up study reported here, a mixture of MEH–PPV and cresyl violet in benzene at different ratios were prepared. The results showed that when the mixture was pumped by the third harmonic of Nd: YAG (355 nm), MEH–PPV as a part of the mixture could get excited by pump laser pulse excitation, and transfer its excitation energy externally to cresyl violet to produce ASE. However, MEH–PPV represents here as a donor while CV served as an acceptor.     

MEH-PPV薄膜的放大自发发射特性

研究了MEH-PPV薄膜的放大自发发射特性。当激发强度增加时,从样品边缘发射的光谱发生增益窄化现象并具有明显的阈值特性。我们发现随着薄膜厚度的增加,MEH-PPV薄膜的阈值有所降低,而其增益系数则随之增加。在150nm厚时测得最大净增益系数为25.03cm^-1,最低阈值为2.2μJ/pulse。结果表明MEH-PPV是一种优良的激光和光放大材料。     

Amplified spontaneous emission from metal-backed poly[2-methoxy-5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] film

We investigate the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) from an Ag-backed poly[2-methoxy-5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy)1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) film with different film thicknesses.The ASE characteristics of Ag-backed MEHPPV films with different thicknesses show that increasing the film thickness can reduce the influence of the Ag cladding.The threshold,the gain,and the loss of the device with a thickness of 170 nm are comparable to those of a metal-free device.The lasing threshold of this device is about 7.5 times that of a metal-free device.Our findings demonstrate that Ag-backed MEH-PPV film with an appropriate thickness can still be a good polymer gain material for the fabrication of solid-state lasers.     

Wavelength dependence of transient photovoltage polarity

Using pulsed laser with different wavelengths, transient photovoltage (TPV) is investigated for the sandwich device of indium tin oxide (ITO)/poly (2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV) (500 nm)/Al. At laser wavelength of 500 nm, a 0.1 millisecond negative TPV signal appears followed by a positive one lasting 40-80 milliseconds. With increasing laser wavelength, the negative signal becomes weak and disappears when wavelengths λ?560 nm. This work demonstrates the process of exciton dissociation at the interface between ITO and MEH-PPV. A new method measuring the relative dissociation rate at the interface between polymer and electrode is introduced. It is estimated that the dissociation rate at Al interface is 4-8 times of that at the ITO interface.     

Lasing characteristics of Rhodamine B and Rhodamine 6G as a sensitizer in sol–gel silica

We report lasing characteristics of Rhodamine B (Rh. B) in sol–gel silica under excitation with frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser and sensitization with Rhodamine 6G (Rh. 6G). The principle of radiative energy transfer (from Rh. 6G to Rh. B) has been utilized as a longitudinally Rh. 6G laser (at 585 nm)-pumped Rh. B laser process in the same sample. Rh. B offers a high photostable and efficient laser dye in sol–gel silica sensitized with Rh. 6G; 75,000 shots as a laser half-lifetime of the sample and 24% efficiency at pumping intensity 0.1 J/cm² of 532 nm. Wavelength shift occurs from 606 to 630 nm in the Rh. B laser with increasing its concentration from 1×10⁻⁴ to 8×10⁻⁴ M. The measured optical gain for Rh. B sensitized with Rh. 6G in sol–gel silica is higher than that in ethanol. A new effect has been observed; at 1×10⁻⁴ M of Rh. B and 0.5×10⁻⁴ M of Rh. 6G mixture, the emitted color of laser is changed by changing the pump intensity of frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser.     

All fiber passively mode locked zirconium-based erbium-doped fiber laser

All passively mode locked erbium-doped fiber laser with a zirconium host is demonstrated. The fiber laser utilizes the Non-Linear Polarization Rotation (NPR) technique with an inexpensive fiber-based Polarization Beam Splitter (PBS) as the mode-locking element. A 2 m crystalline Zirconia–Yttria–Alumino-silicate fiber doped with erbium ions (Zr–Y–Al-EDF) acts as the gain medium and generates an Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) spectrum from 1500 nm to 1650 nm. The generated mode-locked pulses have a spectrum ranging from 1548 nm to more than 1605 nm, as well as a 3-dB bandwidth of 12 nm. The mode-locked pulse train has an average output power level of 17 mW with a calculated peak power of 1.24 kW and energy per pulse of approximately 730 pJ. The spectrum also exhibits a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of 50 dB as well as a repetition rate of 23.2 MHz. The system is very stable and shows little power fluctuation, in addition to being repeatable.     

Role of aggregation in the amplified spontaneous emission of [2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] in solution and films

The amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) spectra of the conjugated polymer [2-methoxy-5-(2′- ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) is investigated under different conditions such as thin film and solution, solvent type and concentration. Results indicate that aggregation has a pronounced effect on ASE spectra. In solution form, as concentration was increased and thus the proportion of aggregates, a decrease in the ASE emission bandwidth and a red shift of the ASE peak was observed. For the thin film samples, the ASE spectra show two emission bands which were assigned to the first and second vibronic transition of the polymer chains.     

Stimulated resonance Raman scattering of Rhodamine B

Stimulated resonance Raman scattering (SRRS) of the Rhodamine B (RhB) in the methanol (CH₃OH) or ethanol (C₂H₅OH) solutions have been observed. SRRS from RhB can be distinguished from the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) of RhB with increasing the input laser energy. When the RhB is dissolved in the methanol or ethanol (10^?3 mol/L), the RhB have the different peak wavelengths of SRRS, ASE, fluorescence and absorption, respectively. SRRS can be amplified by the ASE gain when the SRRS is near the peak of the ASE, and the peak wavelength of SRRS coincides with the maximal intensity wavelength of ASE.     

Erbium–ytterbium co-doped fiber amplifier operating at 1550 nm with stimulated lasing at 1064 nm

A new method of controlling the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) from Yb^3 + ions in Er^3 +/Yb^3 + co-doped fiber amplifiers is presented. The 1 μm ASE is suppressed by stimulating a laser emission at 1064 nm in a fiber amplifier, due to a positive feedback for the 1 μm signal. The results are compared to a conventional amplifier setup without any ASE control. We have shown, that applying a feedback loop in an Er^3 +/Yb^3 + co-doped fiber amplifier allows higher power scaling and provides operation without unwanted parasitic lasing effects, increasing the stability and robustness of the amplifier.     

Morphology and properties of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV): N,N′-bis(1-ethylpropyl)-3,4:9,10-perylene bis(tetracarboxyl diimide) (EP-PTC) based solar cells

The influence of two components blend ratio, solution concentration and thermal annealing on the morphology of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV): N,N′-bis(1-ethylpropyl)-3,4:9,10-perylene bis(tetracarboxyl diimide) (EP-PTC) blend films spin-cast from chloroform solutions has been studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM images show that the dimension of the phase separation increases with the EP-PTC content and total solution concentration. When the annealing temperature increases from 90 to 150 °C, the EP-PTC crystal-like clusters grow rapidly. Solar cells based on MEH-PPV:EP-PTC blend films with different weight ratios were fabricated. The device with 1:3 weight ratio has a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.072% compared with the devices with 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4 ratio, which increases by about 14 times over that of the device with 1:1 ratio that has a PCE of 0.005%. It is indicated that the optimum performance of the photovoltaic device is strongly related to the finer phase separation between MEH-PPV and EP-PTC on a submicron scale which enables an efficient dissociation of photogenerated excitons, and the pure EP-PTC phase can build up a percolating network with pathways large enough to enhance electron transport.