Catenaa, Wednesday, December 31, 2025-Researchers have identified a new quantum state, “hybrid excitons,” at the interface between organic semiconductors and two-dimensional (2D) materials.
This, reports say could potentially boost solar cell efficiency and ultrafast optoelectronics.
The international team tracked energy transfer at the interface of WSe2 and PTCDA using momentum microscopy, capturing processes occurring within one quadrillionth of a second.
Hybrid excitons combine the properties of both materials: immobile excitons from organic layers and highly mobile excitons from 2D semiconductors.
This unique state allows light-generated energy to transfer across the interface extremely rapidly, a process critical for high-performance energy conversion and next-generation quantum technologies.
The study, published in Nature Physics, provides direct experimental evidence of hybrid excitons and maps how energy and charge propagate in these nanostructures.
Observations showed photon energy absorbed by the 2D material transferring to the organic layer in less than 10^-13 seconds, revealing a new mechanism for efficient energy management at the nanoscale.
By understanding and controlling hybrid excitons, scientists can design solar cells with faster and more efficient energy capture, develop ultrafast optoelectronic devices, and advance quantum-based technologies.
The findings mark a significant step in harnessing fundamental quantum processes for practical applications.
The research was conducted by teams from the Universities of Göttingen, Marburg, Humboldt University of Berlin, and the University of Graz, with support from the German Research Foundation, the Austrian Science Fund, and the European Research Council.
