Organic light-emitting materials and devices for optical communication technology

This paper outlines our recent efforts to develop organic infrared (IR) and near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting materials and devices for use in optical communication technology. The IR and NIR light-emitting materials investigated are two organic ionic dyes, (2-[6-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-2,4-neopentylene-1,3,5-hexatrienyl]-3-methyl-benzothiazonium perchlorate) (LDS821) and [C41H33Cl2N2]+·BF4− (IR1051), and an organic rare-earth complex, erbium (III) tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) (ErQ). These materials exhibit photo- and electro-luminescence in the 0.8-, 1.1- and 1.5-μm wavelength regions, respectively. They were used as optically active species in the following three device forms; vacuum-deposited or doped spin-coated polymer thin-films, doped monodispersed polymer microparticles, and embedded polymeric optical waveguides with a doped core. I propose possible optical communication applications based on their optical properties and luminescent processes.