Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes with Improved Outcoupling Using a High-Index Contrast Nanoarray.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) are promising for next-generation optoelectronic devices due to their potential to achieve high color purity, efficiency, and brightness. Although the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of PeLEDs has recently surpassed 20%, various strategies are being pursued to increase EQE further and reduce the EQE gap compared to other LED technologies. A key point to further boost EQE of PeLEDs is linked to the high refractive index of the perovskite emissive layer, leading to optical losses of more than 70% of emitted photons. Here, it is demonstrated that a randomly distributed nanohole array with high-index contrast can effectively enhance outcoupling efficiency in PeLEDs. Based on a comprehensive optical analysis on the perovskite thin film and outcoupling structure, it is confirmed that the nanohole array effectively distributes light into the substrate for improved outcoupling, allowing for 1.64 times higher light extraction. As a result, highly efficient red/near-infrared PeLEDs with a peak EQE of 14.6% are demonstrated.

Luminescence from oriented emitting dipoles in a birefringent medium.

We present an optical model to describe the luminescence from oriented emitting dipoles in a birefringent medium and validate the theoretical model through its applications to a dye doped organic thin film and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). We demonstrate that the optical birefringence affects not only far-field radiation characteristics such as the angle-dependent emission spectrum and intensity from the thin film and OLEDs, but also the outcoupling efficiency of OLEDs. The orientation of emitting dipoles in a birefringent medium is successfully analyzed from the far-field radiation pattern of a thin film using the model. In addition, the birefringent model presented here provides a precise analysis of the angle-dependent EL spectra and efficiencies of OLEDs with the determined emitting dipole orientation.

Estimation of the mean emission zone in phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes with a thin emitting layer.

We presented an approach to estimate the emission zone (EZ) positions in high efficiency phosphorescent OLEDs with a thin emitting layer. Two devices with different distances between the emitting layer and the cathode (i.e. they are optically different), but exhibiting same current density-voltage characteristics (i.e. they are electrically the same) were used for this purpose. Mean EZ positions in the OLEDs were extracted from the comparison of the experimental luminous intensity ratio vs. the current density with the calculated intensity ratio vs. the EZ position. The validity of the approach was confirmed by the agreement between calculated and experimental spectral changes.

Influence of indium-tin-oxide and emitting-layer thicknesses on light outcoupling of perovskite light-emitting diodes.

Metal halide perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) are emerging as a promising candidate for next-generation optoelectronic devices. The efficiency of PeLEDs has developed explosively in a short time, but their overall efficiency is still low. This is strongly related to the high refractive indexes of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and perovskite emitting layers. Various outcoupling strategies are being introduced to outcouple the light trapped inside the layers. However, the proposed methods have experimental challenges that need to be overcome for application to large-area electronics. Based on optical simulations, we demonstrate that the thicknesses of the ITO and perovskite layers are key parameters to improve the outcoupling efficiency of PeLEDs. In addition, the optical energy losses of PeLEDs can be reduced significantly by properly adjusting the thicknesses of the two layers. This leads to outstanding optical performance with a maximum EQE greater than 20% without using any other external outcoupling strategies.

Phosphorescent dye-based supramolecules for high-efficiency organic light-emitting diodes.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are among the most promising organic semiconductor devices. The recently reported external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of 29-30% for green and blue phosphorescent OLEDs are considered to be near the limit for isotropically oriented iridium complexes. The preferred orientation of transition dipole moments has not been thoroughly considered for phosphorescent OLEDs because of the lack of an apparent driving force for a molecular arrangement in all but a few cases, even though horizontally oriented transition dipoles can result in efficiencies of over 30%. Here we use quantum chemical calculations to show that the preferred orientation of the transition dipole moments of heteroleptic iridium complexes (HICs) in OLEDs originates from the preferred direction of the HIC triplet transition dipole moments and the strong supramolecular arrangement within the co-host environment. We also demonstrate an unprecedentedly high EQE of 35.6% when using HICs with phosphorescent transition dipole moments oriented in the horizontal direction.

Highly enhanced light extraction from surface plasmonic loss minimized organic light-emitting diodes.

Extremely high light out-coupling efficiency from a transparent organic light-emitting diode integrated with microstructures on both sides of the device is reported. The metal free device offers dramatically reduced surface plasmonic and intrinsic absorption losses. Moreover, high refractive index micropatterns with optimal light extraction condition are fabricated based on the well-matched analysis of optical simulations.