To Couple or not to Couple? Exploring Vibronic Coupling in Organic Semiconductors
type: CreativeWork
description: The Earth is heating up—an observation grounded not in speculation but in extensive scientific evidence, as illustrated in Figure 1. The accelerating rise in global temperature is not only a planetary signal but also a scientific and technological call to action. The last decade has witnessed record-breaking temperatures, rising sea levels, and a growing frequency of extreme climate events. Mitigating this crisis demands a fundamental shift in how we produce, distribute, and use energy. To limit warming below 2◦C, as outlined in the Paris Agreement, there is an urgent need to transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy systems. Solar photovoltaics and energy-efficient lighting are central pillars of this transition. However, current silicon-based technologies, while mature, are constrained by inflexible processing, high material costs, and intrinsic efficiency ceilings. In contrast, organic semiconductors—both for solar cells and light-emitting devices—offer a path forward that is simultaneously low-cost, low-energy, and compatible with flexible substrates. Organic solar cells (OSCs) can be manufactured at scale using solution processing techniques, enabling roll-to-roll printing and deployment in environments where conventional rigid modules are impractical. Similarly, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) provide high-efficiency lighting with reduced energy demands and tunable spectral properties—critical for both consumer electronics and off-grid lighting. Their lightweight nature and compatibility with transparent, biodegradable substrates further enhance their sustainability profile. Despite these advantages, organic materials are fundamentally limited by how their excited states—excitons and polarons—interact with nuclear motion. In particular, vibronic coupling governs many key performance metrics, including emission linewidth, radiative efficiency, charge separation rates, and non-radiative losses. The interaction between electronic excitations and vi…
abstract: The Earth is heating up—an observation grounded not in speculation but in extensive scientific evidence, as illustrated in Figure 1. The accelerating rise in global temperature is not only a planetary signal but also a scientific and technological call to action. The last decade has witnessed record-breaking temperatures, rising sea levels, and a growing frequency of extreme climate events. Mitigating this crisis demands a fundamental shift in how we produce, distribute, and use energy. To limit warming below 2◦C, as outlined in the Paris Agreement, there is an urgent need to transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy systems. Solar photovoltaics and energy-efficient lighting are central pillars of this transition. However, current silicon-based technologies, while mature, are constrained by inflexible processing, high material costs, and intrinsic efficiency ceilings. In contrast, organic semiconductors—both for solar cells and light-emitting devices—offer a path forward that is simultaneously low-cost, low-energy, and compatible with flexible substrates. Organic solar cells (OSCs) can be manufactured at scale using solution processing techniques, enabling roll-to-roll printing and deployment in environments where conventional rigid modules are impractical. Similarly, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) provide high-efficiency lighting with reduced energy demands and tunable spectral properties—critical for both consumer electronics and off-grid lighting. Their lightweight nature and compatibility with transparent, biodegradable substrates further enhance their sustainability profile. Despite these advantages, organic materials are fundamentally limited by how their excited states—excitons and polarons—interact with nuclear motion. In particular, vibronic coupling governs many key performance metrics, including emission linewidth, radiative efficiency, charge separation rates, and non-radiative losses. The interaction between electronic excitations and vi…
author: Ghosh, Pratyush
language: eng
keywords: Ultrafast Spectroscopy
license: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/e22e3b1c-56f5-4989-9278-6c4bc98b3186/download
license: http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved
date published: 2025-08-11
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:28Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.125197