Electroluminescence in anthracene crystals under time-varying electric fields

Electroluminescence in anthracene crystals has been systematically measured under time varying electric fields at various temperatures using a sodium electrode as the electron-injecting contact and a silver electrode as the hole-injecting contact. The results show that the electroluminescent brightness decreases with increasing frequency over the temperature range from ? 20 to 60°C; and that for a given frequency the brightness increases with increasing temperature, reaches a peak at a critical temperature, and then decreases with increasing temperature. The electroluminescence under a half-wave rectified sinusoidal a.c. field is brighter than that under a sinusoidal a.c. field of the same peak amplitude. There is a delay time between the application of the field and the appearance of electroluminescence, and this delay time decreases with increasing frequency and saturates at a value which may be associated with the transit time of the injected electrons across the specimen. All these results can be explained on the basis of the model that electroluminescence occurs when an electron space charge built up near the anode is sufficient to enhance hole injection from the anode.