Brennan Coulter
Jul 13, 2012
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Spintronic OLEDs: Brighter, Cheeper, More efficient

University of Utah physicists have invented a new "spintronic" organic light-emitting diode or spin OLED that promises brighter, cheaper, and more efficient LEDs and OLEDs. Two crucial advances went into the new spin OLEDs. The first was the incorporation of deuterium -- hydrogen plus a neutron -- instead of normal hydrogen in the organic layer of the spin valve -- an electrical switch -- which makes the production of light in the spin OLED more efficient. The second was a thin layer of lithium fluoride deposited on the cobalt electrode, which makes the production of light possible. The lithium fluoride layer allows negatively charged electrons to be injected through one side of the spin valve while positively charged electron holes are injected through the opposite side. This is the first ever bipolar spin valve, necessary for the spin OLED as its ability to produce light relies on the collision of electrons and holes.