Visibly transparent photovoltaic devices can open photovoltaic applications in many areas, such as building-integrated photovoltaics or integrated photovoltaic chargers for portable electronics. We demonstrate high-performance, visibly transparent polymer solar cells fabricated via solution processing. The photoactive layer of these visibly transparent polymer solar cells harvests solar energy ...

Conjugated, conductive polymers are the key component in the development of flexible displays, low-cost, large-scale displays, and thin-film transistors. However, ever since the seminal discovery of the conductive nature of (“doped”) polyacetylene by Heeger, McDiarmid, Shirakawa, and coworkers, the processing of conductive polymers into devices has been a critical issue. The rigid conjugated po...

Fluorescent beads (nanoparticles, nanospheres) are commonly used in fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy. Due to the random distribution of dye and high dye to nanoparticle ratio, the fluorescence polarization observed from the beads is low. Therefore beads are not used for polarization study. We demonstrate that photoselective bleaching creates beads with highly polarized fluorescence. Fir...

Despite the highly porous nature with significantly large surface area, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can be hardly used in electronic and optoelectronic devices due to their extremely poor electrical conductivity. Therefore, the study of MOF thin films that require electron transport or conductivity in combination with the everlasting porosity is highly desirable. In the present work, thin f...

Tandem solar cells provide an effective way to harvest a broader spectrum of solar radiation by combining two or more solar cells with different absorption bands. However, for polymer solar cells, the performance of tandem devices lags behind single-layer solar cells mainly due to the lack of a suitable low-bandgap polymer. Here, we demonstrate highly efficient single and tandem polymer solar c...

A key challenge for silicon photonic systems is the development of compact on-chip light sources. Thulium-doped fiber and waveguide lasers have recently generated interest for their highly efficient emission around 1.8 μm, a wavelength range also of growing interest to silicon-chip based systems. Here, we report on highly compact and low-threshold thulium-doped microcavity lasers integrated wit...

Doped graphene, a one-atom-thick but highly conductive sheet, provides us with an unprecedented platform to explore surface plasmon and two-dimensional optics in a regime that can hardly be obtained with noble metals or conventional electron gases. Theoretical calculations show that graphene surface plasmon (transverse magnetic mode) shows extraordinarily tight confinement and short wavelength....

The choice of an adequate electrolyte is a fundamental aspect in polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells (PLECs) as it provides the situ doping and influences performance these devices. In this study, hyperbranched (Hybrane DEO750 8500) blended with Li salt used novel state-of-the-art Super Yellow (a polyphenylenevinylene) based LECs. Due to desirable properties homogeneous smooth films th...

Ultrasonic spray coating process (USCP) with high material -utilization, low manufacture costs and compatibility to streamline production has been attractive in researches on photoelectric devices. However, surface tension exists in the solvent is still a huge obstacle to realize smooth organic film for organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) by USCP. Here, high quality polymer anode buffer laye...

Three methods were used to fabricate ZnO-based room temperature liquid petroleum gas (LPG) sensors having interdigitated metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structures. Specifically, devices with Pd Schottky contacts were fabricated with: (1) un-doped ZnO active layers; (2) Pd-doped ZnO active layers; and (3) un-doped ZnO layers on top of Pd microstructure arrays. All ZnO films were grown on p-type...