Importance of spin-orbit interaction for the electron spin relaxation in organic semiconductors

Nuccio, Laura; Willis, M.; Schulz, Leander; Fratini, S.; Messina, F.; D’Amico, M.; Pratt, F. L.; Lord, J. S.; McKenzie, I.; Loth, M.; Purushothaman, B.; Anthony, J.; Heeney, M.; Wilson, R. M.; Hernández, I.; Cannas, M.; Sedlak, K.; Kreouzis, T.; Gillin, W. P.; Bernhard, Christian; Drew, Alan J.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.216602

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Importance of spin-orbit interaction for the electron spin relaxation in organic semiconductors

Nuccio, Laura Queen Mary University of London, School of Physics and Astronomy, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom - Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 3, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
Willis, M. Queen Mary University of London, School of Physics and Astronomy, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
Schulz, Leander Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 3, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
Fratini, S. Institut Néel-CNRS and Université Joseph Fourier, Boîte Postale 166, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
Messina, F. University of Palermo, Department of Physics and Chemistry, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, Italy
D’Amico, M. University of Palermo, Department of Physics and Chemistry, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, Italy - Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Fisiche della Materia-MeSIAM, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, Italy
Pratt, F. L. ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
Lord, J. S. ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
McKenzie, I. ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
Loth, M. Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0055, USA
Purushothaman, B. Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0055, USA
Anthony, J. Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0055, USA
Heeney, M. Department of Chemistry and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ London, United Kingdom
Wilson, R. M. Queen Mary University of London, School of Engineering and Materials Sciences, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
Hernández, I. Queen Mary University of London, School of Physics and Astronomy, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom - MALTA Consolider Team, Departamento CITIMAC, Universidad de Cantabria, Avenida Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
Cannas, M. University of Palermo, Department of Physics and Chemistry, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, Italy - Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Fisiche della Materia-MeSIAM, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, Italy
Sedlak, K. Laboratory for Muon-Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
Kreouzis, T. Queen Mary University of London, School of Physics and Astronomy, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
Gillin, W. P. Queen Mary University of London, School of Physics and Astronomy, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
Bernhard, Christian Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 3, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
Drew, Alan J. Queen Mary University of London, School of Physics and Astronomy, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom - ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom

23.05.2013

Published in:

Physical Review Letters. - 2013, vol. 110, no. 21, p. 216602

English Despite the great interest organic spintronics has recently attracted, there is only a partial understanding of the fundamental physics behind electron spin relaxation in organic semiconductors. Mechanisms based on hyperfine interaction have been demonstrated, but the role of the spin-orbit interaction remains elusive. Here, we report muon spin spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements on two series of molecular semiconductors in which the strength of the spin-orbit interaction has been systematically modified with a targeted chemical substitution of different atoms at a particular molecular site. We find that the spin-orbit interaction is a significant source of electron spin relaxation in these materials.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Physique

Language