Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “charged exciton”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Endothermic Charge Separation Occurs Spontaneously in Non–Fullerene Acceptor/Polymer Bulk Heterojunction

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) based on non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) have achieved a power conversion efficiency close to 20%. These NFA OPVs can generate free carriers efficiently despite a very small energy level offset at the donor/acceptor interface. Why these NFAs can enable efficient charge separation (CS) with low energy losses remains an open question. Here, the CS process in the PM6:Y6 bulk heterojunction is probed by time-resolved two-photon photoemission spectroscopy. It is found that the CS, the conversion from bound charge transfer (CT) excitons to free carriers, is an endothermic process with an enthalpy barrier of 0.15 eV. The CS can occur spontaneously despite being an endothermic process, which implies that it is driven by entropy. It is further argued that the morphology of the PM6:Y6 film and the anisotropic electron delocalization restrict the electron and hole wavefunctions within the CT exciton such that they can primarily contact each other through point-like junctions. Furthermore, this configuration can maximize the entropic driving force.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Emergence of composite many-body exciton states in WS 2 and MoSe 2 monolayers

When doped with a high density of mobile charge carriers, monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductors can host new types of composite many-particle exciton states that do not exist in conventional semiconductors. Further, such multiparticle bound states arise when a photoexcited electron-hole pair couples not to just a single Fermi sea that is quantum-mechanically distinguishable (as in the case of conventional charged excitons or trions), but rather couples simultaneously to multiple Fermi seas, each having distinct spin and valley quantum numbers. Composite six-particle “hexciton” states were recently identified in electron-doped $WSe$ $2$ monolayers, but under suitable conditions they should also form in all other members of the monolayer TMD family. Here we present spectroscopic evidence demonstrating the emergence of many-body hexcitons in charge-tunable $WS$ $2$ monolayers (at the A-exciton) and $MoSe$ $2$ monolayers (at the B-exciton). The roles of distinguishability and carrier screening on the stability of hexcitons are discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Polariton enhanced free charge carrier generation in donor–acceptor cavity systems by a second-hybridization mechanism

Cavity quantum electrodynamics has been studied as a potential approach to modify free charge carrier generation in donor–acceptor heterojunctions because of the delocalization and controllable energy level properties of hybridized light–matter states known as polaritons. However, in many experimental systems, cavity coupling decreases charge separation. In this work, we theoretically study the quantum dynamics of a coherent and dissipative donor–acceptor cavity system, to investigate the dynamical mechanism and further discover the conditions under which polaritons may enhance free charge carrier generation. We use open quantum system methods based on single-pulse pumping to find that polaritons have the potential to connect excitonic states and charge separated states, further enhancing free charge generation on an ultrafast timescale of several hundred femtoseconds. The mechanism involves polaritons with optimal energy levels that allow the exciton to overcome the high Coulomb barrier induced by electron–hole attraction. Moreover, we propose that a second-hybridization between a polariton state and dark states with similar energy enables the formation of the hybrid charge separated states that are optically active. These two mechanisms lead to a maximum of 50% enhancement of free charge carrier generation on a short timescale. However, our simulation reveals that on the longer timescale of picoseconds, internal conversion and cavity loss dominate and suppress free charge carrier generation, reproducing the experimental results. Thus, our work shows that polaritons can affect the charge separation mechanism and promote free charge carrier generation efficiency, but predominantly on a short timescale after photoexcitation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Correlated insulator of excitons in WSe 2 /WS 2 moiré superlattices

A panoply of unconventional electronic states has been observed in moiré superlattices. Engineering similar bosonic phases remains, however, largely unexplored. We report the observation of a bosonic correlated insulator in tungsten diselenide/tungsten disulfide (WSe 2 /WS 2 ) moiré superlattices composed of excitons, that is, tightly bound electron-hole pairs. We develop a pump probe spectroscopy method that we use to observe an exciton incompressible state at exciton filling ν ex = 1 and charge neutrality, indicating a correlated insulator of excitons. With varying charge density, the bosonic correlated insulator continuously transitions into an electron correlated insulator at charge filling ν e = 1, suggesting a mixed correlated insulating state between the two limits. Our studies establish semiconducting moiré superlattices as an intriguing platform for engineering bosonic phases.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Electrically controlled interlayer trion fluid in electron-hole bilayers

Here, the combination of repulsive and attractive Coulomb interactions in a quantum electron-hole (e-h) fluid can produce correlated phases of multiparticle charge complexes, such as excitons, trions, and biexcitons. We report an experimental realization of an electrically controlled interlayer trion fluid in van der Waals heterostructures. In strongly coupled e-h bilayers, electrons and holes spontaneously form three-particle trion bound states. The interlayer trions can assume 1e-2h and 2e-1h configurations. We show that the two holes in 1e-2h trions form a spin-singlet with a spin gap of approximately one milli–electron volt. By electrostatic gating, the equilibrium state can be continuously tuned into an exciton fluid, a trion fluid, an exciton-trion mixture, or a trion-charge mixture. Our work demonstrates a platform to study correlated phases of tunable Bose-Fermi mixtures.

Qi, Ruishi [University of California, Berkeley, CA↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dipole ladders with large Hubbard interaction in a moiré exciton lattice

Two-dimensional semiconductor moiré superlattices have emerged as a powerful platform for engineering correlated electronic phenomena. On the other hand, optical excitation creates charge neutral interlayer excitons with an out-of-plane electric dipole. Strong onsite dipole–dipole interaction promises the formation of correlated bosonic states, akin to the Mott states of electrons, but has not yet been demonstrated. Here we report a large interaction between excitons occupying the same moiré lattice site—characterized by the Hubbard U parameter—and consequent dipole ladders with spin- and electron-filling dependence in WSe 2 /WS 2 moiré superlattices. Photoluminescence measurements show successive peaks emerging with an energy separation of around 34 meV above the ground state as the exciton density is increased. This corresponds to the sequential injection of excitons into a single site with an energy cost to overcome the large exciton Hubbard U, forming a dipole ladder. Based on findings of local magnetic moments at two holes per moiré cell, we show that excitons can also fill a second moiré orbital, establishing the two-orbital nature of the moiré potential landscape. Our results show that the Bose–Hubbard model with possible exciton crystal phases can be investigated in interacting opto-moiré quantum matter.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Charge separation in the photosystem II reaction center resolved by multispectral two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy

The photosystem II reaction center (PSII RC) performs the primary energy conversion steps of oxygenic photosynthesis. While the PSII RC has been studied extensively, the similar time scales of energy transfer and charge separation and the severely overlapping pigment transitions in the Qy region have led to multiple models of its charge separation mechanism and excitonic structure. Here, we combine two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) with a continuum probe and two-dimensional electronic vibrational spectroscopy (2DEV) to study the cyt b559-D1D2 PSII RC at 77 K. This multispectral combination correlates the overlapping Qy excitons with distinct anion and pigment-specific Q x and mid-infrared transitions to resolve the charge separation mechanism and excitonic structure. Through extensive simultaneous analysis of the multispectral 2D data, we find that charge separation proceeds on multiple time scales from a delocalized excited state via a single pathway in which Pheo D1 is the primary electron acceptor, while Chl D1 and P D1 act in concert as the primary electron donor.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Charge Separation in Monolayer WSe 2 by Strain Engineering: Implications for Strain-Induced Diode Action

Strain-engineering band structure in transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) is a promising avenue toward capabilities in optoelectronics. For example, controlling the flow of optically generated quasiparticles can be achieved by a localized strain field which reduces the bandgap and generates an energy-band gradient that funnels neutral excitons to the strain apex. It would be even more advantageous to mimic a diode’s internal field, where both conduction and valence bands bend in the same direction, to separate electrons and holes. This can be achieved if the strain in the TMDC layer lowers both the conduction band minimum as well as the valence band maximum during strain-induced band narrowing. Here, we have used density functional theory (DFT) calculations of monolayer WSe 2 electronic structure under biaxial strain to show that WSe 2 has this property. In this work, to test the band bending experimentally, we combined localized strain with electrostatic doping to follow photoluminescence from excitons and positive or negative trions. In unstrained WSe 2 , both positive and negative trion emissions dominate over excitons away from charge neutrality. In contrast, for strained areas, negative trions accumulate, while positive trion emission is near zero away from charge neutrality, indicating a lack of holes. Hence, strain bends both conduction and valence bands down, similarly to the band bending in a PN-diode depletion region, providing an opportunity to separate electrons and holes via localized strain.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2020

Triplet Excitons in Pentacene Are Intrinsically Difficult to Dissociate via Charge Transfer

Singlet fission (SF) has the potential to bypass the Shockley–Queisser limit for solar cell efficiency through the production of two electron–hole pairs per photon. However, in polycrystalline pentacene this goal is hindered by slow charge transfer from triplets (=10 7 s –1 ) after SF. In this paper we demonstrate that slow charge transfer is an intrinsic property of triplet states in this material and most likely not connected with the triplet pair states that may result from singlet fission. We compare two perylene diimide/pentacene charge transfer systems that differ only by triplet generation mechanism: SF versus intersystem crossing (ISC), sensitized by using a soluble lead phthalocyanine derivative. We use time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) to measure the charge yield in each system and transient absorption (TA) to follow the triplet population dynamics. These experiments are described by a single global kinetic model, with most of its parameters fixed via control experiments. While we observe modest differences in the charge-transfer rate constants between each sample, 4–10× as a function of triplet generation mechanism, all samples remain far below the predicted diffusion-limited rate constant of 10 7 –10 8 s –1 .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Imaging moiré excited states with photocurrent tunnelling microscopy

Moiré superlattices provide a highly tuneable and versatile platform to explore novel quantum phases and exotic excited states ranging from correlated insulators to moiré excitons. Scanning tunnelling microscopy has played a key role in probing microscopic behaviours of the moiré correlated ground states at the atomic scale. However, imaging of quantum excited states in moiré heterostructures remains an outstanding challenge. In this report we develop a photocurrent tunnelling microscopy technique that combines laser excitation and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy to directly visualize the electron and hole distribution within the photoexcited moiré exciton in twisted bilayer WS 2 . The tunnelling photocurrent alternates between positive and negative polarities at different locations within a single moiré unit cell. This alternating photocurrent originates from the in-plane charge transfer moiré exciton in twisted bilayer WS 2 , predicted by our GW-Bethe–Salpeter equation calculations, that emerges from the competition between the electron–hole Coulomb interaction and the moiré potential landscape. Our technique enables the exploration of photoexcited non-equilibrium moiré phenomena at the atomic scale.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Exciton dissociation in quantum dots connected with photochromic molecule bridges

Here, we report modulation of exciton dissociation dynamics in quantum dots (QD) connected with photochromic molecules. Our results show that switching the configuration of photochromic molecules changes the inter-QD potential barrier height which has a major impact on the charge tunnelling and exciton dissociation. The switching of the dominant exciton decay pathway between the radiative recombination and exciton dissociation results in switchable photoluminescence intensity from QDs. Implications of our findings for optical memory and optical computing applications are discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Janus Monolayers for Ultrafast and Directional Charge Transfer in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Heterostructures

Charge transfer properties of van der Waals heterostructures formed by Janus and regular transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers are studied by time-resolved pump–probe measurements and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Measurements of electron and hole transfer in three heterostructures with atomic layer sequences of S–W–Se/S–W–S, Se–W–S/S–W–S, and S–W–Se/Se–W–Se reveal that charge transfer from regular to Janus monolayers is ultrafast regardless of the direction of the built-in electric field of the Janus monolayer (Janus field). However, the charge transfer from Janus to regular layers is directional and controlled by the Janus field. When the current direction is along the field, the charge transfer is ultrafast and efficient, while the field blocks the charge transfer with an opposite charge current direction. The transferred carriers form interlayer excitons with extended lifetimes compared to the intralayer excitons. The demonstrated ultrafast and directional charge transfer between Janus and regular TMD layers shows that the Janus structures can be used to make 2D heterostructures with efficient and directional charge transfer properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nature of Excitons and Their Ligand-Mediated Delocalization in Nickel Dihalide Charge-Transfer Insulators

The fundamental optical excitations of correlated transition-metal compounds are typically identified with multielectronic transitions localized at the transition-metal site, such as d d transitions. In this vein, intense interest has surrounded the appearance of sharp, below-band-gap optical transitions, i.e., excitons, within the magnetic phase of correlated Ni 2 + van der Waals magnets. The interplay of magnetic and charge-transfer insulating ground states in Ni 2 + systems raises intriguing questions on the roles of long-range magnetic order and of metal-ligand charge transfer in the exciton nature, which inspired microscopic descriptions beyond typical d d excitations. Here we study the impact of charge transfer and magnetic order on the excitation spectrum of the nickel dihalides ( Ni X 2 , X = Cl , Br, and I) using Ni- L 3 edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS). In all compounds, we detect sharp excitations, analogous to the recently reported excitons, and assign them to spin-singlet multiplets of octahedrally coordinated Ni 2 + stabilized by intra-atomic Hund’s exchange. Additionally, we demonstrate that these excitons are dispersive using momentum-resolved RIXS. Our data evidence a ligand-mediated multiplet dispersion, which is tuned by the charge-transfer gap and independent of the presence of long-range magnetic order. This reveals the mechanisms governing nonlocal interactions of on-site d d excitations with the surrounding crystal or magnetic structure, in analogy to ground-state superexchange. These measurements thus establish the roles of magnetic order, self-doped ligand holes, and intersite-coupling mechanisms for the properties of d d excitations in charge-transfer insulators. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

2-dimensional systems↗
DOE OSTI2022

Annealing Controls Ultrafast Dynamics of Carrier Production in Organic Photovoltaics Incorporating a Nonfullerene Acceptor

Nonfullerene acceptors have emerged as leading candidates in organic photovoltaics pushing past some of the limitations of their fullerene counterparts with absorption extending in the visible and NIR, decreased air-sensitivity, and tunable energy levels. Significant progress has been made in demonstrating the potential of nonfullerene acceptor-based devices to reach high efficiencies; however, a photophysical and mechanistic understanding of charge generation in these nonfullerene acceptors lags behind. In particular, the effects of annealing on carrier production have not been previously examined. Here, we use transient absorption spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy to examine the effect of solvent vapor annealing on a perylene diimide-based nonfullerene acceptor, PDI-DPP-PDI. We find that when mixed with the donor PTB7-Th, the effect of solvent vapor annealing on PDI-DPP-PDI is to reduce geminate recombination, leading to balanced exciton generation and charge separation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Rearrangement collision theory of phonon-driven exciton dissociation

Understanding the processes governing the dissociation of excitons to free charge carriers in semiconductors and insulators is of central importance for photovoltaic applications. Dyson's S-matrix formalism provides a framework for computing scattering rates between quasiparticle states derived from the same underlying Hamiltonian, often reducing to familiar Fermi's “golden rule” like expressions at first order. By presenting a rigorous formalism for multichannel scattering, we extend this approach to describe scattering between composite quasiparticles and, in particular, the process of exciton dissociation mediated by the electron-phonon interaction. Subsequently, we derive rigorous expressions for the exciton dissociation rate, a key quantity of interest in optoelectronic materials, which enforce correct energy conservation and may be readily used in ab initio calculations. We apply our formalism to a three-dimensional model system to compare temperature-dependent exciton rates obtained for different scattering channels.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

Isolating the Vibrational Spectra of the Red Chlorophylls in Photosystem I with Multispectral Two-Dimensional Spectroscopy

Photosystem I (PSI) uses an antenna of chlorophyll (Chl) molecules to create a charge separated state with high quantum efficiency. Understanding the charge separation mechanism is currently hindered by spectral overlap between the antenna and reaction center (RC) Chls and the fact that energy transfer and electron transfer occur with similar time scales. Here, we characterize the antenna excited states by applying two-dimensional electronic (2DES) and two-dimensional electronic-vibrational (2DEV) spectroscopy to PSI complexes with closed RCs. Comparison of the 2DES and 2DEV spectra, which evolve with the same kinetics, enabled characterization of the vibrational modes of the antenna during energy equilibration between spectrally distinct Chls. Through global analysis, we learn how energy transfer between the Bulk and Red Chls presents in the 2DEV spectra and we definitively identify vibrations of the cationic components of the mixed exciton and intermolecular charge transfer states associated with the Red Chls. This work enables future studies of the initial charge separation mechanism of PSI by 2DEV spectroscopy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗