Electron spin resonance and photoelectron yield spectroscopic studies for photocarrier behavior in photorefractive polymeric composites

Abstract

Abstract An electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy as well as a photoelectron yield spectroscopy (PYS) is used to study the photocarrier behavior (generation and transport) for photorefractivity in poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVCz) and poly[bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] (PTAA) based photorefractive (PR) polymer composites. ESR spectra directly catch the radical species in PR composites on the laser illumination under applied electric field; the cation radicals and anion radicals induced under light illumination upon applying an electric field were evaluated. PYS was used to evaluate the energy levels and the width of the electron density of states (DOS) of the carrier transport manifolds. The narrower DOS width of the PTAA-based PR composite was significantly related to the faster response time and broader DOS width for the PVCz-based PR composite to the slower response time. Based on all these results, the comprehensive energy diagrams, including perspectives on the energy level and its distribution, the generated charge carriers with spins, and occupied trap density, are proposed.