Naveen Rawat

Macroscopic Molecular Ordering and Exciton Delocalization in Crystalline Phthalocyanine Thin Films

The lack of long range order in organic semiconductor thin films prevents the unveiling of the complete nature of excitons in optical experiments, because the diffraction limited beam diameters in the bandgap region far exceed typical crystalline grain sizes. Here we present spatially-, temporally- and polarization-resolved dual photoluminescence/linear dichroism microscopy experiments that investigate exciton states within a single crystalline grain in solution-processed phthalocyanine thin films. These experiments reveal the existence of a delocalized singlet exciton, polarized along the high mobility axis in this quasi-1D electronic system. The strong delocalized {\pi} orbitals overlap controlled by the molecular stacking along the high mobility axis is responsible for breaking the radiative recombination selection rules. Using our linear dichroism scanning microscopy setup we further established a rotation of molecules (i.e. a structural phase transition) that occurs above 100 K prevents the observation of this exciton at room temperature.We present spatially-, temporally- and polarization-resolved dual photoluminescence/linear dichroism microscopy experiments that investigate the correlation between long-range order and the nature of exciton states in solution-processed phthalocyanine thin films. The influence of grain boundaries and disorder is absent in these films because typical grain sizes are 3 orders of magnitude larger than focused excitation beam diameters. These experiments reveal the existence of a delocalized singlet exciton, polarized along the high mobility axis in this quasi-1D electronic system. The strong delocalized π orbitals overlap, controlled by the molecular stacking along the high mobility axis, is responsible for breaking the radiative recombination selection rules. Using our linear dichroism scanning microscopy setup, we further established that a rotation of molecules (i.e., a structural phase transition) that occurs above 100 K prevents the observation of this exciton at room temperature.

Polarization-resolved spectroscopy imaging of grain boundaries and optical excitations in crystalline organic thin films

Exploration of optical properties of organic crystalline semiconductors thin films is challenging due to submicron grain sizes and the presence of numerous structural defects, disorder and grain boundaries. Here we report on the results of combined linear dichroism (LD)/ polarization-resolved photoluminescence (PL) scanning microscopy experiments that simultaneously probe the excitonic radiative recombination and the molecular ordering in solution-processed metal-free phthalocyanine crystalline thin films with macroscopic grain sizes. LD/PL images reveal the relative orientation of the singlet exciton transition dipoles at the grain boundaries and the presence of a localized electronic state that acts like a barrier for exciton diffusion across the grain boundary. We also show how this energy barrier can be entirely eliminated through the optimization of deposition parameters that results in films with large grain sizes and small-angle boundaries. These studies open an avenue for exploring the influence of long-range order on exciton diffusion and carrier transport.

Spin Exchange Interaction in Substituted Copper Phthalocyanine Crystalline Thin Films.

The origins of spin exchange in crystalline thin films of Copper Octabutoxy Phthalocyanine (Cu-OBPc) are investigated using Magnetic Circular Dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy. These studies are made possible by a solution deposition technique which produces highly ordered films with macroscopic grain sizes suitable for optical studies. For temperatures lower than 2 K, the contribution of a specific state in the valence band manifold originating from the hybridized lone pair in nitrogen orbitals of the Phthalocyanine ring, bears the Brillouin-like signature of an exchange interaction with the localized d-shell Cu spins. A comprehensive MCD spectral analysis coupled with a molecular field model of a σπ − d exchange analogous to sp-d interactions in Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors (DMS) renders an enhanced Zeeman splitting and a modified g-factor of −4 for the electrons that mediate the interaction. These studies define an experimental tool for identifying electronic states involved in spin-dependent exchange interactions in organic materials.

Tuning exciton delocalization in organic crystalline thin films

Organic electronics have been drawing a lot of attention over the past few decades with recent commercial applications such as organic photovoltaics, OLEDs, and flexible organic displays. One of the key components for designing organic molecules suitable for electronic devices is a fundamental understanding of excitonic behaviors. Here we report on the fabrication and photoluminescence studies of crystalline thin film organic alloy systems, metal free and metal based octabutoxyphthalocyanine (MOBPcxH2OBPc1-x), and metal-free H2OBPc and octabutoxynapthalocyanine (H2OBNc) mixtures (H2OBNcxH2OBPc1-x). Crystalline thin films of these materials were deposited using an in-house developed pen writing technique that results in macroscopic long-range order even at the ratio of x = 0.5, which is unique and important for spectroscopic studies. Our experiments reveal that the coherent excitonic states of MOBPcxH2OBPc1-x and H2OBNcxH2OBPc1-x crystalline thin films can be tuned continuously as a function of alloy concentration (0 < x < 1). Moreover, the solution-processed technique used to fabricate these crystalline thin films provides us an unprecedented advantage in designing and controlling the bandgap tunability as well as achieving the desired exciton coherent length for variety of applications.

Organic analogues of diluted magnetic semiconductors: bridging quantum chemistry to condensed matter physics

The selective coupling between polarized photons and electronic states in materials enables polarization-resolved spectroscopy studies of exchange interactions, spin dynamics, and collective magnetic behavior of conduction electrons in semiconductors. Here we report on Magnetic Circular Dichroism (MCD) studies of magnetic properties of electrons in crystalline thin films of small molecule organic semiconductors. Specifically, the focus was on the magnetic exchange interaction properties of d-shell ions (Cu2+, Co2+ and Mn2+) metal phthalocyanine (Pc) thin films that one may think of as organic analogues of diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS). These films were deposited in-house using a recently developed pen-writing method that results in crystalline films with macroscopic long range ordering and improved electronic properties, ideally suited for spectroscopy techniques. Our experiments reveal that, in analogy to DMS, the extended π-orbitals of the Pc molecule mediate the spin exchange between highly localized d-like unpaired spins. We established that exchange mechanisms involve different electronic states in each species and/or hybridization between d-like orbitals and certain delocalized π-orbitals. Unprecedented 25T MCD and PL conducted in the unique 25T Split Florida HELIX magnet at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) will prove useful in probing these exchange interactions.

Tuning exchange interactions in organometallic semiconductors

Organic semiconductors are emerging as a leading area of research as they are expected to overcome limitations of inorganic semiconductor devices for certain applications where low cost manufacturing, device transparency in the visible range or mechanical flexibility are more important than fast switching times. Solution processing methods produce thin films with millimeter sized crystalline grains at very low cost manufacturing prices, ideally suited for optical spectroscopy investigations of long range many-body effects in organic systems. To this end, we synthesized an entire family of organosoluble 3-d transition metal Pc’s and successfully employed a novel solution-based pen-writing deposition technique to fabricate long range ordered thin films of mixtures of metal-free (H2Pc) molecule and organometallic phthalocyanines (MPcs). Our previous studies on the parent MPc crystalline thin films identified different electronic states mediating exchange interactions in these materials. This understanding of spin-dependent exchange interaction between delocalized π-electrons with unpaired d spins enabled the further tuning of these interactions by mixing CoPc and H2Pc in different ratios ranging from 1:1 to 1000:1 H2Pc:MPc. The magnitude of the exchange is also tunable as a function of the average distance between unpaired spins in these materials. Furthermore, high magnetic field (B < 25T) MCD and magneto-photoluminescence show evidence of spin-polarized band-edge excitons in the same materials.