Non-radiative exciton energy transfer in hybrid organic-inorganic heterostructures

Non-radiative optical energy transfer from a GaAs quantum well to a thin overlayer of an infrared organic semiconductor dye is unambiguously demonstrated. The dynamics of exciton transfer are studied in the time-domain using pump-probe spectroscopy at the donor site and fluorescence spectroscopy at the acceptor site. The effect is observed as simultaneous increase of the population decay rate at the donor and of the rise time of optical emission at the acceptor sites. The hybrid configuration under investigation provides an alternative non-radiative, non-contact pumping route to electrical carrier injection that overcomes the losses imposed by the associated low carrier mobility of organic emitters.