Skip to main content
Log in

The Ultrafast Dynamics of Electronic Excitations in Pentacene Thin Films

  • Published:
MRS Online Proceedings Library Aims and scope

Abstract

Pentacene films which are model systems for organic electronics exhibit contrary to the pentacene monomer extremely little photoluminescence. This points to an ultrafast relaxation mechanism. We apply pump-probe absorption spectroscopy with a time resolution of 30 fs to microcrystalline pentacene films. It is found that the primarily excited Frenkel excitons decay within 70 fs to a non fluorescing singlet species. Contrary to expectations fission into triplets is only a minor channel. We propose that the ultrafast relaxation of the photoexcited excitons leads to a species very similar to excimers. The radiative transition of the excimer to the ground state is electric dipole forbidden due to symmetry reasons. The excimer formation provides therefore an efficient mechanism to turn off the emission.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. C. D. Dimitrakopoulos, S. Purushothaman, J. Kymissis, A. Callegari, and J. M. Shaw, Science 283, 822 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. B. Nickel, M. Fiebig, S. Schiefer, M. Gllner, M. Huth, C. Erlen, and P. Lugli, Phys. Status Solidi A 205, 526 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. C. Jundt, G. Klein, B. Sipp, J. Le Moigne, M. Joucla, and A. A. Villaeys, Chem. Phys. Lett. 241, 84 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. K. O. Lee and T. T. Gan, Chem. Phys. Lett. 51, 120 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. H. Marciniak, I. Pugliesi, B. Nickel, and S. Lochbrunner, Phys. Rev. B, 79, 235318 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. H. Marciniak, M. Fiebig, M. Huth, S. Schiefer, B. Nickel, F. Selmaier, and S. Lochbrunner, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 176402 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. M. Pope, N. E. Geacintov, and F. Vogel, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 6, 83 (1969).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. C. Hellner, L. Lindqvist, and P. C. Rodberge, J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans. 1 68, 1928 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. S. Schiefer, M. Huth, A. Dobrinevski, and B. Nickel, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 10316 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Marciniak, H., Nickel, B. & Lochbrunner, S. The Ultrafast Dynamics of Electronic Excitations in Pentacene Thin Films. MRS Online Proceedings Library 1270, 953 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-1270-II09-53

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-1270-II09-53

Navigation