Prof. Bernard Kippelen from Georgia Tech introduces current development of photonics and electronics at SUSTech Lecture

Guest Lecture

| 11/09/2016

On November 8, 2016, Bernard Kippelen, an OSA Fellow and a professor from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), was invited to the 90th session of SUSTech Lecture to give a lecture entitled “New Frontiers in Photonics and electronics” at the lecture hall of the library of Southern University of Science of Technology (SUSTech). He introduced the current development of photonics and electronics.

Lecture scene

Kippelen currently works as Joseph M. Pettit Professor at Georgia Tech and Director of the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Atlanta. He has researched on organic photonics and electronics for many years, explored the physical mechanisms behind organic photonic and electronic devices, and published over 180 academic papers and 11 monographs.

Prof. Bernard Kippelen gives a lecture

In his lecture, Kippelen introduced the latest progress of organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). Because of its features such as low energy consumption, relatively simple preparation process and needing no backlight, OLED has been seen as a future substitute for traditional LED, he said. Besides, the functional materials of OLED devices are low-cost carbon-based organic matters easy to prepare. He also briefly introduced several improvements in the development history of OLED and the drivers behind. He noted that unremitting efforts were made by scientists of all countries from first-generation OLED needing backlight to second-generation OLED needing no backlight. He mentioned the work of narrowing the gap between triplet energy and singlet energy, which is of vital importance to boosting OLED efficiency.

Then Kippelen introduced the efforts of his research group on organic solar cells. Given the requirements for preparation process, high temperature and high vacuum environment, traditional polysilicon solar cells cost high in preparation and emit much carbon dioxide. In contrast, the preparation of organic solar cells needs spin coating only and emits little carbon dioxide. Therefore, the organic solar cell has become a superb substitute for the traditional silicon solar cell. He started from the basic knowledge of devices and introduced the latest progress of his research group. One of his important findings was PEIE, a polymer that can modify the interface between the electrodes and the carrier transport layer of an organic solar cell, thereby changing the work function of electrodes. Based on this polymer, he made 7-layer tandem solar cells. He also introduced the process from his theoretical prediction to the completion of device preparation in detail.

Q&A session

Also, Kippelen summarized the recent trend of organic photonics and electronics, looked into the future of photonics and electronics, and answered the questions from the audience in detail. OSA SUSTech held a lucky draw, and three students got the opportunity to have a dinner with him.