Zhuo Ye

Extremely Efficient Indium–Tin-Oxide-Free Green Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

This paper demonstrates extremely efficient (η(P,max) = 118 lm W(-1) ) ITO-free green phosphorescent OLEDs (PHOLEDs) with multilayered, highly conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) films as the anode. The efficiency is obtained without any outcoupling-enhancing structures and is 44% higher than the 82 lm W(-1) of similar optimized ITO-anode PHOLEDs. Detailed simulations show that this improvement is due largely to the intrinsically enhanced outcoupling that results from a weak microcavity effect.

Soft holographic interference lithography microlens for enhanced organic light emitting diode light extraction

Very uniform 2 μm-pitch square microlens arrays (μLAs), embossed on the blank glass side of an indium-tin-oxide (ITO)-coated 1.1 mm-thick glass, are used to enhance light extraction from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by ~100%, significantly higher than enhancements reported previously. The array design and size relative to the OLED pixel size appear to be responsible for this enhancement. The arrays are fabricated by very economical soft lithography imprinting of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mold (itself obtained from a Ni master stamp that is generated from holographic interference lithography of a photoresist) on a UV-curable polyurethane drop placed on the glass. Green and blue OLEDs are then fabricated on the ITO to complete the device. When the μLA is ~15 × 15 mm(2), i.e., much larger than the ~3 × 3 mm(2) OLED pixel, the electroluminescence (EL) in the forward direction is enhanced by ~100%. Similarly, a 19 × 25 mm(2) μLA enhances the EL extracted from a 3 × 3 array of 2 × 2 mm(2) OLED pixels by 96%. Simulations that include the effects of absorption in the organic and ITO layers are in accordance with the experimental results and indicate that a thinner 0.7 mm thick glass would yield a ~140% enhancement.

Higher-order incidence transfer matrix method used in three-dimensional photonic crystal coupled-resonator array simulation

The plane-wave-based transfer matrix method with rational function interpolation and higher-order plane-wave incidence is proposed as an efficient calculation approach to simulate three-dimensional photonic crystal devices. As an example, the dispersion relations and quality factors are calculated for resonant cavity arrays embedded in a woodpile photonic crystal. An interesting ultraslow negative group velocity is observed in this structure.

Design of midinfrared photodetectors enhanced by resonant cavities with subwavelength metallic gratings

We propose a metallic Fabry–Perot cavity with a Au grating and a Au film acting as two reflectors to enhance the field and absorption in the active detector region, leading to better performance of quantum-dot-based photodetectors at a wavelength of 10 μm. One- and two-dimensional Au gratings are applied to achieve enhancement for polarized and unpolarized light, respectively. With optimizing grating parameters, the absorption can be enhanced by about 20 times in the active detector region compared to conventional photodetectors without the Au reflectors.

Microporous phase-separated films of polymer blends for enhanced outcoupling of light from OLEDs

Thin microporous films were formed by dropcasting a toluene solution containing various ratios of polystyrene:polyethylene glycol blends on a glass substrate, with OLEDs on the ITO that coated the opposite side of that substrate. We demonstrate for the first time that such easily-fabricated films with surface and bulk micropores in the index-matching polystyrene can serve as random microlens-like arrays to improve forward OLED light extraction by up to ~60%. A theoretical interpretation of the angular emission profile of the device, considering the geometrical change at the substrate/air interface and the scattering by the pores within the films, was established in excellent agreement with the experiments. The use of such blended thin films provides an economical method, independent of the OLED fabrication technique, for improving the outcoupling efficiency.

Broadband light absorption enhancement in polymer photovoltaics using metal nanowall gratings as transparent electrodes

The authors investigate light absorption in organic solar cells in which indium tin oxide (ITO) is replaced by a new metallic architecture (grating) as a transparent electrode. Different from typical metal nanowire gratings, our gratings consist of metal nanowalls with nanoscale footprint and (sub)microscale height [Adv. Mater. 23, 2469 (2011)], thus ensuring high optical transmittance and electrical conductivity. Simulations reveal that a broadband and polarization-insensitive light absorption enhancement is achieved via two mechanisms, when such silver nanowall gratings are employed in P3HT:PCBM based solar cells. Overall absorption enhanced by ~23% compared to a reference cell with ITO electrode.

Propagation of guided modes in curved nanoribbon waveguides

The authors develop a plane-wave-based transfer matrix method in curvilinear coordinates to study the guided modes in curved nanoribbon waveguides. The problem of a curved structure is transformed into an equivalent one of a straight structure with spatially dependent tensors of dielectric constant and magnetic permeability. The authors investigate the coupling between the eigenmodes of the straight part and those of the curved part when the waveguide is bent. The authors show that curved sections can result in strong oscillations in the transmission spectrum similar to the recent experimental results of Lawet al.

Metal-nanowall grating transparent electrodes: Achieving high optical transmittance at high incident angles with minimal diffraction

A novel architecture has been employed to fabricate transparent electrodes with high conductivity and high optical transmittance at high incident angles. Soft lithography is used to fabricate polymer grating patterns onto which thin metallic films are deposited. Etching removes excess metal leaving tall walls of metal. Polymer encapsulation of the structure both protects the metal and minimizes diffraction. Transmission is dependent upon the height of the walls and encapsulation and varies from 60% to 80% for structures with heights of 1400 nm to 300 nm. In encapsulated structures, very little distortion is visible (either parallel to or perpendicular to standing walls) even at viewing angles 60° from the normal. Diffraction is at characterized through measurement of intensity for zeroth through third order diffraction spots. Encapsulation is shown to significantly reduce diffraction. Measurements are supported by optical simulations.

Fine tuning resonant frequencies for a single cavity defect in three-dimensional layer-by-layer photonic crystal

The resonant frequencies of a single cavity embedded in the three-dimensional layer-by-layer photonic crystal are studied with microwave experiments and transfer-scattering matrix method simulations. The effects of the number of cladding layers and the size of the embedded cavity on resonant frequencies and Q values are carefully examined. The fine increments of cavity size indicate a new pattern of relation between resonant frequencies and cavity sizes.

Perfectly matched layer absorption boundary condition in planewave based transfer-scattering matrix method for photonic crystal device simulation

The performance of the perfectly matched layer absorption boundary condition is fully exploited when it is applied to the planewave based transfer-scattering matrix method in photonic crystal device simulation. The mode profile of one dimensional dielectric waveguide and the optical properties of sub-wavelength aluminum grating with semi-infinite substrate are studied to illustrate the accuracy and power of this approach.