Color-tunable mixed photoluminescence emission from Alq3 organic layer in metal-Alq3-metal surface plasmon structure

Abstract

This work reports the color-tunable mixed photoluminescence (PL) emission from an Alq₃ organic layer in an Au-Alq₃-Au plasmonic structure through the combination of organic fluorescence emission and another form of emission that is enabled by the surface plasmons in the plasmonic structure. The emission wavelength of the latter depends on the Alq₃ thickness and can be tuned within the Alq₃ fluorescent spectra. Therefore, a two-color broadband, color-tunable mixed PL structure was obtained. Obvious changes in the Commission Internationale d’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates and the corresponding emission colors of Au-Alq₃-Au samples clearly varied with the Alq₃ thickness (90, 130, and 156 nm).