Light Quasiparticles Dominate Electronic Transport in Molecular Crystal Field-Effect Transistors

TL;DR

This study shows that light quasiparticles, rather than polarons, dominate charge transport in rubrene-based organic transistors, with effective masses similar to free electrons, challenging previous assumptions about polaronic effects in molecular solids.

Contribution

The paper provides experimental evidence that charge transport in rubrene transistors is governed by light quasiparticles, not polarons, aligning with band structure calculations.

Findings

Effective masses are comparable to free electron mass.

No evidence of prominent polaronic effects.

Transport governed by light quasiparticles.

Abstract

We report on an infrared spectroscopy study of mobile holes in the accumulation layer of organic field-effect transistors based on rubrene single crystals. Our data indicate that both transport and infrared properties of these transistors at room temperature are governed by light quasiparticles in molecular orbital bands with the effective masses m* comparable to free electron mass. Furthermore, the m* values inferred from our experiments are in agreement with those determined from band structure calculations. These findings reveal no evidence for prominent polaronic effects, which is at variance with the common beliefs of polaron formation in molecular solids.