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At least 19 records

Ultranarrow electroluminescence from magnetic excitons in the van der Waals antiferromagnetic semiconductor NiPS 3

Electrically driven light emission from two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting materials has enabled numerous optoelectronic technologies, including light-emitting diodes, solid-state lasers, and single-photon sources for quantum communication. Here we report ultranarrow electroluminescence from the magnetic excitonic state of the van der Waals antiferromagnetic semiconductor NiPS 3 . This electroluminescence is enabled by the fabrication of gate-tunable NiPS 3 devices that remain electrically conductive below the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature of 155 K, ultimately allowing field-effect mobilities of 1.3 cm 2 V –1 s –1 and 4.5 cm 2 V –1 s –1 to be directly measured at room temperature and 7 K, respectively. By applying a high-frequency square wave voltage to the gate electrode of the resulting field-effect transistors, electroluminescence is capacitively induced from the magnetic excitons of NiPS 3 . Due to the coupling of these excitons with the underlying NiPS 3 antiferromagnetic order, the electroluminescence has an ultranarrow linewidth of 1 meV and a high degree of linear polarization (ρ = 0.78). In addition to facilitating fundamental studies of the coupling between spin states and excitons in van der Waals magnetic semiconductors, this work will accelerate the development of emerging 2D opto-spintronic applications.

two-dimensional materials

Multijunction Electroluminescent Cooling

We propose a multijunction configuration for an electroluminescent cooling system, incorporating multiple semiconductor layers with different band gaps. Through theoretical analysis focusing on cooling power density and coefficient of performance, we show that increasing the number of semiconductor layers results in an enhanced performance of electroluminescent cooling. We highlight the reduction of operating voltage as a pivotal factor contributing to this improvement. Furthermore, we show that the enhancement can persist in the presence of nonradiative recombination. Our work indicates the potential of multijunction configurations in advancing the capabilities of electroluminescent cooling. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

14 SOLAR ENERGY

Gas electroluminescence in a dual phase xenon-doped argon detector

Noble element detectors using argon or xenon as the detection medium are widely used in the searches for rare neutrino and dark matter interactions. Xenon doping in liquid argon can preserve attractive properties of an argon target while enhancing the detectable signals with properties of xenon. Here, in this work, we deployed a dual-phase liquid argon detector with up to 4% xenon doping in the liquid and studied its gas electroluminescence properties as a function of xenon concentration. At ∼2% xenon doping in liquid argon, we measured ∼34 ppm of xenon in the gas and observed ∼2.5 times larger electroluminescence signals using vacuum ultraviolet silicon photomultipliers than those in pure argon. Analysis of signals of different wavelengths confirms that the argon gas electroluminescence process is strongly modified by the addition of xenon. We propose an analytical model to describe the underlying energy transfer mechanism in argon-xenon gas mixtures. Lastly, the implications of this measurement for low-energy ionization signal detection will be discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Spectral and small-signal electroluminescence analysis of carrier dynamics in dual-color InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes

Here, we study carrier transport, distribution, and recombination in dual-color c-plane InGaN/GaN LEDs using spectral analysis and small-signal electroluminescence (SSEL). The emissions from green and blue quantum wells (QWs) were experimentally separated and analyzed. Spectral analysis and SSEL independently demonstrate that emission from the green QW is dominant at low current densities, consistent with its narrower bandgap, while emission from the blue QW is more significant at higher current densities, consistent with its reduced quantum confined Stark effect and larger wavefunction overlap. In addition, we demonstrate that the carrier recombination in the QWs is non-uniform, with carrier transport dramatically affecting the carrier distribution between QWs and the recombination in a specific QW. Finally, our measurements suggest that the effective active region contributing most strongly to radiative recombination corresponds to approximately two to three QWs on the p-GaN side, indicating limited carrier transport to more distant QWs in the structures studied.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Advanced Photovoltaic Module Characterization: Using Image Transformers for Current–Voltage Curve Prediction From Electroluminescence Images

Individual photovoltaic (PV) module health monitoring can be a daunting task for operation and maintenance of solar farms. Modules can be inspected through luminescence, thermal imaging, and current–voltage (I–V) curve analyzes for identification of damage and power loss. I–V curves provide easily interpretable data to determine module health as they directly provide electrical performance metrics. However, in order to obtain these curves, modules must be disconnected from the array and either removed to a solar simulator or characterized in situ with corrections for module temperature, the incident solar spectrum, and intensity. Luminescence or thermal images of a module are relatively easy to acquire in situ. Electroluminescence (EL) images highlight physical defects in the modules but do not provide easily interpretable features to correlate with electrical performance. This work presents a SWin transformer network to predict I–V curves for PV modules from their corresponding EL images. The predicted I–V curves allow the accurate prediction of the maximum power point (MPP), short-circuit current I sc , and open-circuit voltage V oc with a mean error less of than 1%. Comparing single diode model (SDM) parameters extracted from the predicted curves to those extracted from the true curves, the series resistance R s demonstrates a mean error of 5.19%, and the photocurrent I a mean error of 0.197%. The shunt resistance R sh and dark current Io parameters are predicted with larger errors because of their sensitivity to small changes in the I–V curve.

Byford, Brandon K. [New Mexico State Univ., Las Cr

Electroluminescence Yield Measurements in Xenon Gas with the NEXT-DEMO++ Detector

The NEXT-DEMO++ detector, a high-pressure xenon gas time projection chamber serving as a prototype for the NEXT-100 experiment, was used to measure the electroluminescence (EL) yield as a function of reduced electric field ($E/p$) across pressures from 2.0 to 9.4 bar, utilizing the 41.5 keV de-excitation peak of $^{83m}$Kr. These measurements were made to examine the pressure dependence of the slope of the reduced EL yield $Y/p$, which has shown inconsistencies in the literature. The reduced yield was fitted with a linear model, revealing a modest ($\sim$5%) change in slope, beginning around 5 bar and increasing with pressure up to 9.4 bar.

Renner, J. [Valencia U., IFIC]

Depolymerizable and recyclable luminescent polymers with high light-emitting efficiencies

Luminescent polymers are of great interest in a number of photonic technologies, including electroluminescence, bioimaging, medical diagnosis, bio-stimulation and security signage. Incorporating depolymerizability and recyclability into luminescent polymers is pivotal for promoting their sustainability and minimizing their environmental impacts at the end of the product lifecycle, but existing strategies often compromise the light-emitting efficiencies. Here, in this study, we develop a strategy that utilizes cleavable moiety to create depolymerizable and recyclable thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) polymers without compromising their high light-emitting efficiencies. The electroluminescent devices based on the TADF polymers achieved a high external quantum efficiency of up to 15.1 %. The TADF polymers can be depolymerized under either mild acidic or heating conditions, with precise control of the kinetics, and the obtained pure monomers can potentially be isolated and repolymerized for subsequent life applications. This work promotes the end-of-life environmental friendliness and circularity of luminescent materials, paving the way to a sustainable photonic industry. Developing depolymerizable and recyclable polymers with high light-emitting efficiencies is of vital importance for sustainable photonic technologies, but remains challenging. Here the authors design a strategy to develop such polymers based on the use of controllable cleavable moiety.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Long-term temporal stability of the DarkSide-50 dark matter detector

The stability of a dark matter detector on the timescale of a few years is a key requirement due to the large exposure needed to achieve a competitive sensitivity. It is especially crucial to enable the detector to potentially detect any annual event rate modulation, an expected dark matter signature. Here, in this work, we present the performance history of the DarkSide-50 dual-phase argon time projection chamber over its almost three-year low-radioactivity argon run. In particular, we focus on the electroluminescence signal that enables sensitivity to sub-keV energy depositions. The stability of the electroluminescence yield is found to be better than 0.5%. Finally, we show the temporal evolution of the observed event rate around the sub-keV region being consistent to the background prediction.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND

Solution‐Processed Spin‐Polarized Light‐Emitting Diodes of Colloidal Quantum Wells and Magnetic Nanoparticles

Electrical injection of spin-polarized carriers into semiconductors enables circularly-polarized emission from spin-polarized light-emitting diodes (spin-LEDs). The incredible level of tunability of magnetic and electronic properties in colloidal nanocrystals offers unprecedented opportunities for the modulation of polarization of light in solution-processed spin-LEDs based on magnetic nanoparticles unlike epitaxially grown spin-LEDs restricted by a very limited range of materials for their exploitation, and solution-processed spin-LEDs based on chiral molecules, which do not allow the modulation of polarization in general. Here, it is shown that electrical injection of spin-polarized electrons from magnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles into CdSe/CdZnS core/shell colloidal quantum wells (CQWs) in solution-processed LEDs that allows for polarization modulation of electroluminescence. In this structure, a monolayer of face-down oriented CQWs is deposited as an active layer to avoid polarization losses due to the hopping of the electrons between the CQWs before the radiative recombination process. In this solution-processed spin-LED, the circular polarization reaches 4.5% at 3 K and survives up to 100 K. A net circular polarization is observed at zero magnetic field up to 100 K because of the remnant magnetization of the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. This new colloidal spin-LED architecture presents significant prospects for future solution-processed advanced opto-spintronic devices.

circularly polarized electroluminescence

Multiscale Characterization of Electrode-Induced Degradation in Perovskite Solar Cells

The stability of metal-halide-perovskite (MHP) solar cells must be understood and improved for the commercial viability of MHP technologies. Here, we apply multiscale characterization methods to study degradation modes, specifically electrode corrosion, for p-i-n MHP partial device stacks and full devices that are stored in the dark under an inert atmosphere. Our multiscale characterization approaches include full-device electro-optical performance using current-voltage (JV) curves and spatial imaging with electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL). We further correlate interface properties using cross-sectional Kelvin probe force microscopy, which maps the nanoscale electric field properties, and electron microscopy, which demonstrates structural and chemical features. Devices stored as a full device stack degrade primarily by metal (Ag) electrode diffusion into the absorber, with formation of AgI byproducts and Ag accumulation near the indium tin oxide (ITO) contact. This causes decomposition of the perovskite absorber domains, loss of the potential drop at the electron transport layer (ETL)/perovskite interface near the metal contact, and increased equivalent resistance at the perovskite/hole transport layer (HTL) interface near the ITO contact. The devices stored without metal show a different degradation pathway dominated by corrosion of the ITO, creating voids at the ITO electrode surface with diffusion of In and Sn into the absorber. We conclude that metal electrode-induced degradation is the most severe degradation pathway under dark storage, but that ITO corrosion and absorber instability must also be mitigated. We further demonstrate mitigation of these degradation pathways by changes to the device stack, including a SnO x blocking layer at the ETL side and replacing ITO with FTO at the HTL side. These results provide a useful demonstration of specific dark degradation pathways at each electrode interface, as well as a unique multiscale example that links degradation of chemical, structural, and electrical interface properties to the full-device electro-optical characteristics.

14 SOLAR ENERGY

Energy conversion and transport in molecular-scale junctions

Molecular-scale junctions (MSJs) have been considered the ideal testbed for probing physical and chemical processes at the molecular scale. Due to nanometric confinement, charge and energy transport in MSJs are governed by quantum mechanically dictated energy profiles, which can be tuned chemically or physically with atomic precision, offering rich possibilities beyond conventional semiconductor devices. While charge transport in MSJs has been extensively studied over the past two decades, understanding energy conversion and transport in MSJs has only become experimentally attainable in recent years. As demonstrated recently, by tuning the quantum interplay between the electrodes, the molecular core, and the contact interfaces, energy processes can be manipulated to achieve desired functionalities, opening new avenues for molecular electronics, energy harvesting, and sensing applications. This Review provides a comprehensive overview and critical analysis of various forms of energy conversion and transport processes in MSJs and their associated applications. We elaborate on energy-related processes mediated by the interaction between the core molecular structure in MSJs and different external stimuli, such as light, heat, electric field, magnetic field, force, and other environmental cues. Key topics covered include photovoltaics, electroluminescence, thermoelectricity, heat conduction, catalysis, spin-mediated phenomena, and vibrational effects. Furthermore, the review concludes with a discussion of existing challenges and future opportunities, aiming to facilitate in-depth future investigation of promising experimental platforms, molecular design principles, control strategies, and new application scenarios.

Charge transport