Research at the LOMM

Molecular materials are actively considered for applications in the fields of plastic electronics, plastic photonics and imaging. In particular, organic field effect transistors (OFETs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), and optically active and tunable hybrid polymer films are of great interest for the realization of many optoelectronic devices. Based on this background, the Laboratory of Optoelectronics of Molecular Materials (LOMM) has built a broad theoretical and experimental expertise in the study of organic thin films for optoelectronics and optics. More precisely, the LOMM research activity in material science is focused on conjugated small molecules, polymers and dyes. These materials are electroactive, i.e. they are able of transporting electrons or holes. Conjugated organic molecules are also capable of absorbing and emitting light in the visible domain, which is an essential property in optoelectronic devices.


The LOMM is active in both experimental as well as theoretical field. Since ten years, the LOMM has developed a major expertise in the fabrication and device physics of OLEDs and OFETs. In particular, the research is focused on the use of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of organic molecules as interfaces in thin film devices. A strong effort is dedicated to the fundamental theoretical research, which is directed towards the microscopic study of charge transport and charge injection in molecular materials. Modeling algorithms have been extensively developed at the LOMM to support the physical understanding of the devices.


Since 2003 the LOMM is also active in the field of tunable semiconductor-based planar photonic crystals for integrated optics applications. The research is aimed to the infiltration of these periodic two-dimensional structures with photoactive organic materials with a tunable refractive index.


Finally, since 2005 an intense research program has been launched on functional organic-inorganic hybrid films. The research is focused on the optical properties of such systems and on their application to optics, photonics, and imaging.


Further information is available at the Projects page.

Key words for research subjects: Crystal growth, Device modeling, Dyes, Electronic properties, Excitons, Fluorescent nanoparticules and molecules, Functional nanoparticules and molecules, Hole transport materials, Hybrid organic-inorganic materials, Ink-jet printing, Molecules grafting, Optical devices, Optical and electro-optical materials, Optical properties, Optical thin-film, Organic field effect transistors, Organic light emitting devices, Organic materials, Organic optoelectronic devices, Photonic crystals, Polarization, Polarons, Self-assembled monolayers, Transport theory, Water soluble functional polymers.

Key words for equipments: Contact deposition, Electroabsorption, Electrochemistry, Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Kelvin Probe, Atomic force microscopy, Optoelectronic device testing, Organic device fabrication, Physical vapor deposition, Vacuum chambers, Temperature gradient oven, UV-VIS-NIR Transmission Spectroscopy, Ellipsometry, Optical microscopy, Thin film optical characterization, Organic waveguide optical characterization, Surface energy and contact angle measurements.