Cathode interface engineering in all-polymer solar cells for simultaneous optical wireless communications and energy...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• All-polymer organic photovoltaics (OPVs) show promise for integrated energy harvesting and optical communication.
• Optimizing the interface between the active layer and electrode is crucial for OPV performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a novel cathode interfacial layer (CIL) for enhanced performance in all-polymer OPVs.
• To investigate the potential of these OPVs for simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer (SLIPT).

Main Methods:

• Developed and employed PNDIT-F3N as a CIL in all-polymer OPVs.
• Characterized OPV performance under standard (AM 1.5G) and indoor lighting conditions.
• Evaluated optical wireless communication capabilities, including data rate and bit error rate.

Main Results:

• Achieved high power conversion efficiencies of 15.16% (AM 1.5G) and 17.71% (indoor lighting).
• Demonstrated a device bandwidth of 3.4 MHz.
• Attained a record peak communication rate of 70.3 Mbps at 1.8 meters with simultaneous energy harvesting of 3.13 mW.

Conclusions:

• Innovative CIL engineering significantly enhances OPV performance for SLIPT applications.
• The developed OPVs enable efficient self-powered optical communication, with potential for mobile devices and energy-efficient technologies.