Organic optical bistable switch

Abstract

We demonstrate an organic optical bistable switch by integrating an efficient organic photodetector on top of a transparent electrophosphorescent organic light-emitting diode (TOLED). The bistability is achieved with an external field-effect transistor providing positive feedback. In the “LOW” state, the TOLED is off and the current in the photodetector is solely its dark current. In the “HIGH” state, the TOLED emits light that is directly coupled into the integrated photodetector through the transparent cathode. The photocurrent then is fed back to the TOLED, maintaining it in the HIGH state. The green electrophosphorescent material, fac tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium [Ir(ppy)3] doped into a 4,4′-N,N′-dicarbazole-biphenyl host was used as the luminescent material in the TOLED, while alternating thin layers of copper phthalocyanine and 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic bis-benzimidazole were used as the active region of the organic photodetector. The circuit has a 3 dB bandwidth of 25 kHz, and can be switched between HIGH and LOW using pulses as narrow as 60 ns. The bistable switch can be both electrically and optically reset, making it a candidate for image-retaining displays (e.g., electronic paper) and other photonic logic applications. The integrated organic device also has broad use as a linear circuit element in applications such as automatic brightness control.