Low Amplified Spontaneous Emission Threshold and Efficient Electroluminescence from a Carbazole Derivatized Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer Dye

The search for new classes of efficient electroluminescent organic laser dyes with low amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold (Eth) and low optical losses is crucial toward the realization of organic injection lasers. In this work, we report in-depth studies of an organic semiconducting laser dye, benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-5-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)phenol (HBT-Cz), and compare the photophysical study with its parent HBT dye. While HBT is not laser-active in solution, the carbazole derivatized dye (i.e., HBT-Cz) showed a low solution ASE threshold of 21 mJ/cm2, which is comparable to a common high-performing commercial laser dye, Rhodamine 6G (Rh-6G). HBT-Cz also exhibited a low film ASE threshold of 2.4 μJ/cm2 with a low optical loss coefficient of 1.5 cm–1, which is the lowest waveguide loss coefficient reported for solution-processed organic semiconductors. Organic light-emitting diodes based on this material showed a high maximum EQE of 1.9%, which is close to the theoretical EQE limit of the emitter, and high brightness of >2,300 cd/m2. Further insights into the lasing properties of the material were provided by steady state UV–visible spectroscopy, and transient absorption spectroscopy, shedding light on excited-state species absorption. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a solution-processable organic small molecular dye, exhibiting a low ASE threshold and lowest optical loss coefficient, coupled with efficient electroluminescence.