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Boosting Light Emission from Single Hydrogen Phthalocyanine Molecules by Charging

POSTER

Abstract

Recently, light emission from single molecules on insulating layers studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has made considerable progress. Many fundamental aspects of light emission, however, remain unclear for the future prospect of device applications. In this work, we used a home-build STM with high light-collection efficiency [1] to investigate light emission from individual Hydrogen-Phthalocyanine molecules thermally evaporated onto bi- and trilayers of NaCl on Au(111). By combining STM, full wave electrodynamics and quantum chemical calculations, we show that the light emission efficiency of an individual hydrogen-phthalocyanine molecule can be increased by a factor of ≈19 upon charging [2]. This boost can be explained by the development of a vertical dipole moment normal to the substrate, facilitating out-coupling of the local excitation to the far field. Since this effect is not related to the specific molecule, it provides a general pathway for enhancing the quantum efficiency of light emission from a molecular junction.

Presenters

  • Vibhuti Rai

    Institute for Quantum Materials and Technologies, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Authors

  • Vibhuti Rai

    Institute for Quantum Materials and Technologies, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  • Lukas Gerhard

    Institute for Quantum Materials and Technologies, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  • Qing Sun

    Institute for Quantum Materials and Technologies, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  • Christof holzer

    Institute of Theoretical Solid State Physics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  • Taavi Repaen

    Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  • Marjan Krstic

    Institute of Theoretical Solid State Physics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  • Liang Yang

    Institute of Nanotechnology and Institute of Applied Physics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  • Martin Wegener

    Institute of Applied Physics and Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Nanotechnology and Institute of Applied Physics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  • Carsten Rockstuhl

    Institute of Theoretical Solid State Physics and Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  • Wulf Wulfhekel

    Institute for Quantum Materials and Technologies, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)