Achievement

Chelsea Haughn has constructed a micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy system designed for visible wavelength room temperature samples. The system can perform spectral analysis (multichannel PL) and filter a narrow and tunable band of energies for time-resolved detection with avalanche photodiodes optimized for visible wavelengths. The system is presently being used to spectrally characterize organic photovoltaics. These experiments are expected to progress into time-resolved measurements of exciton dissociation and transport within the next few months. The system is designed to operate at the single photon level and is presently being optimized for detection of PL from single colloidally-synthesized quantum dots. This measurement technique will be applied to analyzing the relationship between nanostructure and single charge transport in photovoltaic materials.