Disclosed are a device and a method for the design and fabrication of the device for enhancing the brightness of luminescent molecules, nanostructures, and thin films. The device includes a mirror, a dielectric medium or spacer, an absorptive layer, and a luminescent layer. The absorptive layer is a continuous thin film of a strongly absorbing organic or inorganic material. The luminescent layer may be a continuous luminescent thin film or an arrangement of isolated luminescent species, e.g., organic or metal-organic dye molecules, semiconductor quantum dots, or other semiconductor nanostructures, supported on top of the absorptive layer.

The present invention generally relates to artificial photosystems and methods of their use, for example in artificial photosynthesis, wherein the artificial photosystems comprise one or more light-harvesting antenna (LHA) comprising a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) complex (CPEC) comprising a donor CPE and an acceptor CPE, wherein the donor CPE and acceptor CPE are an electronic energy transfer (EET) donor/acceptor pair.

The present invention generally relates to artificial photosystems and methods of their use, for example in artificial photosynthesis, wherein the artificial photosystems comprise one or more light-harvesting antenna (LHA) comprising a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) complex (CPEC) comprising a donor CPE and an acceptor CPE, wherein the donor CPE and acceptor CPE are an electronic energy transfer (EET) donor/acceptor pair.

Disclosed is a photoelectric conversion element for converting light into electric energy, including a first electrode, a second electrode, and at least one organic layer existing therebetween, the organic layer containing a compound represented by the general formula (1): ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 are alkyl groups, cycloalkyl groups, alkoxy groups, or arylether groups, which may be respectively the same or different; R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are halogens, hydrogens, or alkyl groups, which may be respectively the same or different; R.sup.7 is an aryl group, a heteroaryl group, or an alkenyl group; M represents an m-valent metal and is at least one selected from boron, beryllium, magnesium, aluminum, chromium, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, and platinum; L is selected from halogen, hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, and a heteroaryl group; and m is in a range of 1 to 6 and, when m−1 is 2 or more, each L may be the same or different.

Graphene photodetectors capable of operating in the sub-bandgap region relative to the bandgap of semiconductor nanoparticles, as well as methods of manufacturing the same, are provided. A photodetector can include a layer of graphene, a layer of semiconductor nanoparticles, a dielectric layer, a supporting medium, and a packaging layer. The semiconductor nanoparticles can be semiconductors with bandgaps larger than the energy of photons meant to be detected.

A compound is represented by Chemical Formula 1, and an organic photoelectric device, an image sensor, and an electronic device include the compound.

##STR00001##

In Chemical Formula 1, each substituent is the same as defined in the detailed description.

A device includes chalcogenide nanoparticles and a light-sensitive material configured to absorb upconverted light generated by the chalcogenide nanoparticles. A method includes receiving, at chalcogenide nanoparticles, input light having a first wavelength; and upconverting the input light using the chalcogenide nanoparticles, to generate output light having a second wavelength, in which the second wavelength is less than the first wavelength. A device includes a transparent material, the transparent material being transparent to at least one of infrared light and visible light, and chalcogenide nanoparticles embedded in the transparent material.

A device includes chalcogenide nanoparticles and a light-sensitive material configured to absorb upconverted light generated by the chalcogenide nanoparticles. A method includes receiving, at chalcogenide nanoparticles, input light having a first wavelength; and upconverting the input light using the chalcogenide nanoparticles, to generate output light having a second wavelength, in which the second wavelength is less than the first wavelength. A device includes a transparent material, the transparent material being transparent to at least one of infrared light and visible light, and chalcogenide nanoparticles embedded in the transparent material.

An organic photoelectronic device may include a photoelectronic conversion layer between a first electrode and a second electrode and a buffer layer on the photoelectronic conversion layer. The photoelectronic conversion layer may be between a first electrode and a second electrode, and the buffer layer may be between the first electrode and the photoelectronic conversion layer. The photoelectronic conversion layer may include at least a first light absorbing material and a second light absorbing material configured to provide a p-n junction. The buffer layer may include the first light absorbing material and a non-absorbing material associated with a visible wavelength spectrum of light. The non-absorbing material may have a HOMO energy level of about 5.4 eV to about 5.8 eV. The non-absorbing material may have an energy bandgap of greater than or equal to about 2.8 eV.

An optical sensor includes: a semiconductor layer including first and second regions; a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer including a photoelectric conversion layer; a voltage supply circuit; and a signal detection circuit connected to the first region. The photoelectric conversion layer has a photocurrent characteristic including first and second voltage ranges where an absolute value of a current density increases as an absolute value of a bias voltage increases, and a third voltage range where an absolute value of a rate of change of the current density relative to the bias voltage is less than in the first and second voltage ranges, The voltage supply circuit applies a predetermined voltage between the gate electrode and the second region such that the bias voltage falls within the third voltage range. The signal detection circuit detects an electrical signal corresponding to a change of a capacitance of the photoelectric conversion layer.