Flexible and Broad-Spectral Hybrid Optical Modulation Transistor Based on a Polymer-Silver Nanoparticle Blend

The light-matter interplay on a soft substrate is critically important for novel optoelectronic applications such as soft robotics, human-machine interfaces, and wearable devices. Here, we for the first time report a flexible and efficiency-enhanced hybrid optical modulation transistor (h-OMT) in the ultraviolet-infrared spectral range by blending a polymer with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The h-OMT device exhibits a unipolar transport and an ultrahigh on-off ratio of ∼4.8 × 10⁶ in a small voltage range of ∼2 V. Using charge modulation reflection spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the h-OMT device shows a broad-spectral response from 400 to 2000 nm and maximum optical modulation of ∼15% at λ = 785 nm, 6-fold higher magnitude than that of the device without AgNPs. Furthermore, the incorporation of AgNPs enhances the extinction ratio by 4-fold magnitude without any complex geometry designs. We find that the performance improvement relies on the AgNP-induced electron trap states and electrochemical dopings in the polymer. Importantly, the device exhibits pronounced mechanical flexibility, and the optical modulation is kept down to a bending radius of 0.5 mm. Our data provide the possibility of organic materials for constructing novel optoelectronic systems in the future.