New Material Makes it Possible to Record Data with Light
March 10, 2017 | ITMO UniversityEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
Russian physicists with their colleagues from Europe through changing the light parameters, learned to generate quasiparticles — excitons, which were fully controllable and also helped to record information at room temperature. These particles act as a transitional form between photons and electrons so the researchers believe that with excitons, they will be able to create compact optoelectronic devices for rapid recording and processing an optical signal. The proposed method is based on the use of a special class of materials called metal-organic frameworks.
To simplify the description of complex effects in quantum mechanics, scientists have introduced a concept of quasiparticles. One of them which is called exciton is an "electron — hole" pair, which provides energy transfer between photons and electrons. According to the scientific community, this mediation of quasiparticles will help to combine optics with electronics to create a fundamentally new class of equipment — more compact and energy efficient. However, all exciton demo devices either operate only at a low temperature, or are difficult to manufacture which inhibits their mass adoption.
In the new study, the scientists from in Saint Petersburg, in Germany and in the Netherlands could generate excitons at room temperature by changing the light parameters. The authors also managed to control the quasiparticles with ultra-high sensitivity of about hundreds of femtoseconds (10−13 s). Finally, they developed an easy method for data recording with excitons. This all became possible through the use of an individual class of materials called metal-organic frameworks.
In such crystals, the researchers learned to bring two types of excitons individually: intralayer and interlayer. The first arise when a photon absorbed by the crystal turns into an electron-hole pair inside a layer, but the second appear when an electron and a hole belong to neighboring layers. In some time, both kinds of quasiparticles disintegrate, re-radiating the energy as a photon. But excitons can move around the crystal while they exist.
The life time of intralayer excitons is relatively short, but their high density and agility allow one to use these quasiparticles to generate light in LEDs and lasers, for instance. Interlayer excitons are more stable, but slow-moving, so the researchers propose them to be used for data recording. Both types of excitons can process an optical signal, according to the physicists.
This innovative approach to information recording concerns changing the distance between crystal layers to switch the interlayer excitons "on" and "off".
Valentin Milichko, the first author of the paper, associate professor of Department of Nanophotonics and Metamaterials at ITMO University, comments: "We locally heated the crystal with a laser. In the place of exposure, the layers stuck together and the luminescence of excitons disappeared while the rest of the crystal continued shining. This could mean that we recorded 1 bit of information, and the record, in the form of a dark spot, was kept for many days. To delete the data, it was enough to put the MOF into the same organic liquid that supports layers. In this case, the crystal itself is not affected, but the recorded information (the dark spot) disappears."
The authors believe that in the future the new material will help to bring processing of an optical signal to the usual pattern of zeros and ones: "In fact, we can influence the exciton behavior in the crystal, changing the light intensity. At weak irradiation, excitons are accumulated (in "1' state), but if the laser power increases, the concentration of quasiparticles grows so much that they can instantly disintegrate (in "0' state)," says Valentin Milichko.
Typically, excitons occur in dielectric and semiconductor crystals, but the scientists could create these quasiparticles and get control over them in a completely different class of materials, which never was used for this. The MOF crystal combines organic components with inorganic that gives it additional properties not available for materials of a single nature. Thus, the organic term allows one to generate excitons at room temperature, but inorganic provides their efficient transfer around the crystal.
Journal reference: dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201606034
The above story is based on materials provided by ITMO University.
Suggested Items
Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks the Beginning of a New Era for Newccess Industrial; The Construction of the MINGXIN Building
04/12/2024 | Newccess IndustrialOn a clear and sunny day in March, the groundbreaking ceremony for the MINGXIN Building took place in Shenzhen, China. This moment marked the official commencement of construction for a project that will reshape the semiconductor materials industry.
The Need for a Holistic Global Sustainability Standard
04/10/2024 | Michael Ford, Aegis SoftwareNo one can deny that the resources of our fragile planet are finite. The environment seems like a third party, subject to constant degradation. We’re acutely aware of the effects of pollution on our climate, and despite our “throw-away” culture, recycling and recovery of materials has remained relatively expensive, even as we use more energy just to survive.
iNEMI Publishes Four Roadmap Topics
04/04/2024 | iNEMIThe International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) announces the availability of the first roadmap topics in the new iNEMI Roadmap format. Printed circuit boards, sustainable electronics, smart manufacturing, and mmWave materials and test are now available online.
Insulectro’s 'Storekeepers' Extend Their Welcome to Technology Village at IPC APEX EXPO
04/03/2024 | InsulectroInsulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in the manufacture of PCBs and printed electronics, welcomes attendees to its TECHNOLOGY VILLAGE during this year’s IPC APEX EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center, April 9-11, 2024.
Checking In With ICAPE Group
04/03/2024 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007ICAPE Group’s field application engineer Erik Pederson drills down on sustainability, supply chain resiliency, and what value engineering really looks like in this exclusive interview. Founded in 1999, European-based ICAPE Group provides 21 million printed circuit boards and over six million technical parts to manufacturers every month. With 30 PCB manufacturing partners globally and 50 partners providing a wide array of technical parts, ICAPE Group has operations in China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, South Africa, Europe, Mexico, and the United States. The company also focuses on the value proposition for its customers.