Internal field screening in polymer light-emitting diodes

Abstract

We use electromodulation spectroscopy and modeling studies to probe the electric-field distribution in polyfluorene-based polymer light-emitting, diodes containing poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrene sulfonate). The bulk internal field is shown to be zero under ordinary operating conditions, with trapped electrons close to the anode fully screening the bulk semiconductor from the external field. The effect has far-reaching implications for the understanding and optimization of organic devices.