High-performance organic broadband photomemory transistors exhibiting remarkable UV-NIR response.

Abstract

The electrical and optical properties of organic semiconductors have improved rapidly in recent years, rendering them highly promising for various optoelectronic applications owing to low-cost and lightweight potential in combination with spectral tunability and long photocarrier lifetimes. Organic photomemory has emerged as an innovative application to achieve optical data storage. However, practical operation requires universal device design with broader spectral response in terms of related materials, interfaces and architecture, a task that remains a significant challenge. Herein, we present a universal strategy to fabricate organic broadband photomemories featuring remarkable UV-NIR response, thereby providing optical switching ability with a controllable memory window. To the best of our knowledge, this study demonstrates an excellent performance with the broadest response spectra and the highest photomemory efficiency of up to 593%. We systematically study the charge trapping mechanism and photoinduced injection enhancement by combining an energy level model with theoretical calculations, characterizing conceivable photogenerated minority carrier trapping and accumulation kinetics. Thus, it is anticipated that the proposed approach will be a starting point for further research, resulting in high-performance organic photomemory ideal for digital commutation between optical and electric signals.