Performance of bulk-heterojunction organic photodetectors

The performance of organic photodetectors has already reached a high level. In the near future organic photodetectors can be found in applications like imaging and sensing. The core of organic photodetectors is the bulk-heterojunction. Fullerenes and conjugated polymers forming islands in nanometer size are causing the outstanding quantum efficiencies. The conjugated polymers have a high absorption coefficient and the fullerenes are efficiently transferred electrons from the polymer. This leads to a high sensitivity to light. Organic photodetectors with low dark currents, external quantum efficiencies of 80% in the visible, linearity over several decades and fast transient behavior are demonstrated.