Role of quantum coherence and energetic disorder in exciton transport in polymer films

Abstract

The cross over from coherent to incoherent exciton transport in disordered polymer films is studied by computationally solving a modified form of the Redfield equation for the exciton density matrix. This theory models quantum-mechanical (ballistic) and incoherent (diffusive) transport as limiting cases. It also reproduces Förster transport for certain parameter regimes. Using model parameters appropriate to polymer thin films it is shown that short-time quantum-mechanical coherence increases the exciton diffusion length. It also causes rapid initial energy relaxation and larger linewidths in agreement with experiment. The route to equilibrium is, however, more questionable, as the equilibrium populations of the model do not satisfy the Boltzmann distributions over the site energies. The Redfield equation for the dimer is solved exactly to provide insight into the numerical results. © 2006 The American Physical Society.