Nonradiative exciton energy transfer in hybrid organic-inorganic heterostructures

Nonradiative energy transfer from a GaAs quantum well to a thin overlayer of an infrared organic semiconductor dye is unambiguously demonstrated. The dynamics of exciton transfer are studied in the time domain by using pump-probe spectroscopy at the donor site and fluorescence spectroscopy at the acceptor site. The effect is observed as simultaneous increase in the population decay rate at the donor and of the rise time of optical emission at the acceptor sites. The hybrid configuration under investigation provides an alternative nonradiative, noncontact pumping route to electrical carrier injection that overcomes the losses imposed by the associated low carrier mobility of organic emitters.