Suppression of electron-hole recombination using orbital angular momentum semiconductor devices

• US 10,451,902 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2015
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nxgen Partners Ip, LLC (NxGen Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nxgen Partners Ip, LLC (NxGen Partners LLC)
• Inventors: Ashrafi, Solyman, Linquist, Roger, Ashrafi, Nima
• Primary Examiner(s): Bourke, Allison
• Application Number:
  US14/816,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20160041411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0121 Operation of devices; Circuit arrangements, not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/02 Details of features involved during the holographic process; Replication of holograms without interference recording
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/024 Hologram nature or properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/08 Synthesising holograms, i.e. holograms synthesized from objects or objects from hologramsusing electric digital computers G06F; G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0212 Light sources or light beam properties G03H1/06, G03H1/24 take precedence; corresponding details, see subgroups of G03H2222/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2222/35 Transverse intensity distribution of the light beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02325 the optical elements not being integrated nor being directly associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/054 Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/00 Organic devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10K39/00, H10K65/00; electrolytic light-sensitive devices H01G9/20
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/50 Photovoltaic [PV] devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/00 Organic light-emitting devices integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10K59/00, H10K65/00; organic semiconductor lasers H01S5/36
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/10 OLEDs or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

An apparatus for suppressing electron/hole recombination includes a photonic device that generates electron/hole pairs responsive to a light beam interacting with the photonic device. An orbital angular momentum (OAM) generation device is located to impart an orbital angular momentum to a light beam before the light beam interacts with the photonic device. The electron/hole pair recombination generated from an OAM imparted light beam is less than electron/hole pair recombination of a non-OAM imparted light beam.

Claims

1. A method for controlling electron/hole recombination within a photonic device having output electrodes, comprising:

placing an orbital angular momentum (OAM) generating circuit between a light source and the photonic device having output electrodes;

passing a light beam from the light source through the OAM generating circuit prior to the light beam interacting with the photonic device having output electrodes to generate an OAM imparted light beam;

controlling a level of OAM applied to the light beam using the OAM generating circuit;

establishing a first predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression desired in the photonic device having output electrodes by applying the light beam having a first OAM level applied thereto from the OAM generating circuit; and

establishing a second predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression desired in the photonic device having output electrodes by applying the light beam having a second OAM level applied thereto from the OAM generating circuit, wherein the second predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression is different from the first predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression and the second OAM level is different from the first OAM level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating electron/hole pairs within the photonic device having output electrodes responsive to the OAM imparted light beam, wherein recombination of the electron/hole pairs generated from the OAM imparted light beam is less likely than recombination of electron/hole pairs generated from a non-OAM imparted light beam.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of generating electrical energy responsive to the OAM imparted light beam interacting within the photonic device having output electrodes, wherein the OAM imparted light beam suppresses electron/hole pair recombination within a electrical energy generation process as compared to electrical energy generated using a non-OAM imparted light beam.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprises a hologram.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprise a spatial light modulator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprises a spatial plate.

7. An apparatus for controlling electron/hole recombination, comprising:

a photonic device having output electrodes that generates electron/hole pairs responsive to a light beam interacting with the photonic device;

an orbital angular momentum (OAM) generation device located to impart an orbital angular momentum to the light beam before the light beam interacts with the photonic device having output electrodes;

an orbital angular momentum controller for controlling a level of OAM applied to the light beam by the OAM generation device, wherein the orbital angular momentum controller establishes a first predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression desired in the photonic device having output electrodes by controlling the OAM generation device to apply a first OAM level to the light beam and establishes a second predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression desired in the photonic device having output electrodes by controlling the OAM generation device to apply a second OAM level to the light beam, wherein the second predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression is different from the first predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression and the second OAM level is different from the first OAM level; and

wherein electron/hole pair recombination generated from an OAM imparted light beam is less than electron/hole pair recombination of a non-OAM imparted light beam.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the photonic device generates electrical energy responsive to the OAM imparted light beam interacting within the photonic device having output electrodes.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprises a hologram.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprise a spatial light modulator.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprises a spatial plate.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the photonic device comprises a biological light harvesting complex.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the photonic device comprises an organic photovoltaic cell.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the photonic device comprises an organic light emitting diode.

16. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprises a hologram.

17. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprise a spatial light modulator.

18. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprises a spatial plate.

19. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the photonic device comprises a biological light harvesting complex.

20. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the photonic device comprises an organic photovoltaic cell.

21. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the photonic device comprises an organic light emitting diode.

15. An apparatus for controlling electron/hole recombination, comprising:

a photonic device having output electrodes that generates electron/hole pairs responsive to a light beam interacting with the photonic device;

an orbital angular momentum (OAM) generation device located to impart an orbital angular momentum to the light beam before the light beam interacts with the photonic device having output electrodes, the OAM generation device configurable to control a level of OAM applied to the light beam based upon a level of electron/hole recombination suppression desired in the photonic device having output electrodes;

an orbital angular momentum controller for controlling the level of OAM applied to the light beam by the OAM generation device, wherein the orbital angular momentum controller establishes a first predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression desired in the photonic device having output electrodes by controlling the OAM generation device to apply a first OAM level to the light beam and establishes a second predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression desired in the photonic device having output electrodes by controlling the OAM generation device to apply a second OAM level to the light beam, wherein the second predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression is different from the first predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression and the second OAM level is different from the first OAM level; and

wherein electron/hole pair recombination generated from an OAM imparted light beam is less than electron/hole pair recombination of a non-OAM imparted light beam.

22. A method for improving electron/hole recombination within a photonic device having output electrodes, comprising:

placing an orbital angular momentum (OAM) generating circuit between a light source and the photonic device having output electrodes;

passing a light beam from the light source through the OAM generating circuit prior to the light beam interacting with the photonic device having output electrodes to generate an OAM imparted light beam;

controlling a level of OAM applied to the light beam using the OAM generating circuit;

establishing a first predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression desired in the photonic device having output electrodes by applying the light beam having a first OAM level applied thereto from the OAM generating circuit; and

establishing a second predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression desired in the photonic device having output electrodes by applying the light beam having a second OAM level applied thereto from the OAM generating circuit, wherein the second predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression is different from the first predetermined level of electron/hole recombination suppression and the second OAM level is different from the first OAM level; and

generating electrical energy responsive to the OAM imparted light beam interacting within the photonic device having output electrodes, wherein the OAM imparted light beam suppresses electron/hole pair recombination within a electrical energy generation process as compared to electrical energy generated using a non-OAM imparted light beam.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of generating electrical energy responsive to the OAM imparted light beam interacting within the photonic device having output electrodes, wherein the OAM imparted light beam suppresses electron/hole pair recombination within a electrical energy generation process as compared to electrical energy generated using a non-OAM imparted light beam.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprises a hologram.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprise a spatial light modulator.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the OAM generating circuit comprises a spatial plate.