The aim of this PhD thesis is to undertake a comprehensive research to study the optical, electrical, surface electronic and morphologic properties, formulation and surface modification of solution processable organic-inorganic hybrid transparent electrodes as well as their applications in optoelectronic devices. In this study, MoO3 nanoparticles and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were incorporated into the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) -poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) layer forming a hybrid anode interfacial layer (AIL) and subsequently a hybrid transparent electrode of AIL/silver nanowires (AgNWs), significantly improved charge injection in CdSe/ZnS-based quantum dot-light emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) and charge collection in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs). The effect of oxidation behavior and charge transfer between PEDOT and MoO3, as well as PEDOT and GO, on the enhancement in conductivity of hybrid PEDOT:PSS-MoO3 and PEDOT:PSS-GO AILs was investigated systematically. The presence of a PEDOT:PSS-MoO3 AIL promotes a good interfacial contact between the hole transporting layer (HTL) and the solution-processed hybrid transparent electrode for efficient operation of QD-LEDs. This work reveals that the use of the hybrid PEDOT:PSS-MoO3 AIL benefits the performance of QD-LEDs in two ways: (1) to assist in efficient hole injection, thereby improving luminous efficiency of QD-LEDs, and (2) to improve electron-hole current balance and suppression of interfacial defects at the QD/electrode interface. The surface wettability of the PEDOT:PSS-MoO3 AIL was controlled successfully for making a good contact between the HTL and the AgNWs, enabling efficient charge injection or charge collection, and thereby improvement in the device performance. The effect of PEDOT:PSS-GO AIL on the performance of transparent QD-LEDs was also analyzed. The maximum brightness of the transparent QD-LEDs, made with a solution-processed hybrid top transparent electrode of PEDOT:PSS-GO/AgNWs, is 3633 cd/m2 at 15 V, comparable to that of a structurally identical control QD-LED made with an evaporated Ag electrode, with a brightness of 4218 cd/m2 operated under the same condition. The change in the hydrophobicity of the PEDOT:PSS-GO AIL, e.g., from the hydrophobic to hydrophilic characteristics, was observed. The interaction between PEDOT and GO nanosheets induces the transition between benzoid-quinoid structures, contributing to the enhanced charge carrier transport via the PEDOT:PSS-GO AIL. The energy level alignment at the HTL/electrode interface and the excellent electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS- GO/AgNWs transparent electrode result in an obvious improvement in the performance of QD-LEDs. Transparent QD-LEDs also demonstrated remarkable efficiency via cathode interfacial engineering. Two cathode interfacial modifications include incorporating (1) a hybrid bathophenanthroline (Bphen):Cs2CO3-based electron transporting buffer layer (EBL) and (2) a conjugate polymer of poly[(9,9-bis(3'-((N,N-dimethyl)-N-ethylammonium)-propyl)-2,7- fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)] (PFN-Br)-based EBL. The approach of n-doping effect in the BPhen:Cs2CO3 EBL not only modifies the surface electronic properties of the ZnO electron transporting layer (ETL) but also improves the electron injection at the QD/cathode interface. The n-doping mechanism in the Bphen:Cs2CO3 EBL was investigated. PFN-Br EBL has also been employed to tune the surface work function of ZnO ETL. It was observed that the ZnO/PFN-Br formed an interfacial dipole at the ETL/QD interface, which is suitable for efficient electron injection in the transparent QD-LEDs. In order to improve electron-hole current balance, a GO/MoO3-based multilayer AIL was adopted facilitating efficient charge transfer through improved energy level alignment at the HTL/hybrid electrode interface. Photoelectron spectroscopy revealed tuned surface work function with reduced interfacial barrier for efficient hole injection in transparent QD-LEDs. In these devices, the cathode and anode interfacial modifications have been optimized and studied. This study was also extended to investigate the effect of the organic-inorganic hybrid electrode on performance enhancement of all solution processable organic solar cells (OSCs). The reduction in series resistance and increase in shunt resistance of solution-processed OSCs originated from improved contact selectivity as well as enhanced charge collection efficiency. These properties are reflected in the significantly improved fill factor and short-circuit photocurrent density for the all solution-processed OSCs. Enhanced charge collection at the BHJ/electrode interfaces and improved process compatibility are mainly responsible for efficiency improvement in the cells. The outcomes of this work would allow further advances in device performance. This research also highlights the need to explore interfacial electronic properties and reduce energetic barrier at BHJ/electrode interfaces in fully solution-processed OSCs through photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The results of this research demonstrate that the solution processable organic-inorganic hybrid transparent electrode developed in this work is beneficial for application in fully solution-processed optoelectronic devices.

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π-Conjugated organic materials have gained much attention and proven useful in multiple optoelectronic applications such as nonlinear optics, organic light-emitting diodes, organic solar cells, and organic field-effect transistors due to their low cost, facile synthesis, light weight, fine tunability, high processibility and mechanical flexibility. Particularly, molecular designs of π-conjugated systems featuring electron donors and acceptors (donor-acceptor systems), or just electron-deficient moieties (acceptor materials) are essential and valuable in realizing critical properties that are desirable for a wide range of optoelectronic materials, such as nonlinear optical materials, thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters, solar harvesting materials and organic n-type semiconductors. Pentafluorosulfanyl (SF5) is a strong electron-withdrawing group that can certainly be applied in the structural designs of donor-acceptor systems and acceptor materials. Along with its strongly electron-withdrawing nature, SF5 is also sterically bulky, chemically/thermally robust and hydrophobic/lipophilic, rendering it unique among electron-withdrawing groups and highly desirable in various optoelectronic materials. However, the SF5 group was only adopted sporadically in a small number of optoelectronic materials and its potential in a wide range of other optoelectronic materials remained largely untapped. Therefore, this thesis aims to investigate the potential of SF5 in a wider variety of molecular designs for novel optoelectronic materials. Specifically, Chapter One provides a brief overview of optoelectronic materials and covers the potential and reported application of SF5 in the molecular designs for different optoelectronic organic materials. Chapter Two will discuss the synthesis of five SF5-containing push-pull dyes and their photophysical properties, particularly their large two-photon absorption characters. In Chapter Three, two styrenic polymers bearing the polar SF5 groups are synthesized and utilized as charge-storage electrets in nonvolatile organic field-effect transistor memory devices. Also, their superior memory device performance to other polar styrenic polymers will be revealed. Chapter Four elaborates the synthesis of a series of SF5-functionalized ullazine derivatives, with the success of synthesis ascribed to the chemical and thermal robustness of SF5. Additionally, the photophysical and electrochemical properties of these SF5-functionalized ullazine derivatives will be investigated, and their potential application in dye-sensitized solar cells will be examined. Finally, in Chapter Five, the work presented in Chapters Two through Four, as well as the previously reported work on SF5-containing optoelectronic materials (in Chapter One), is summarized. In addition, the future scope of SF5 in optoelectronic materials will be proposed as well.

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The future broadband information network will undoubtedly integrate the mobility and flexibility of wireless access systems with the huge bandwidth capacity of photonics solutions to enable a communication system capable of handling the anticipated demand for interactive services. Towards wide coverage and low cost implementations of such broadband wireless photonics communication networks, various aspects of the enabling technologies are continuingly generating intense research interest. Among the core technologies, the optical generation and distribution of radio frequency signals over fibres, and the fibre optic signal processing of optical and radio frequency signals, have been the subjects for study in this thesis. Based on the intrinsic properties of single-mode optical fibres, and in conjunction with the concepts of optical fibre delay line filters and fibre Bragg gratings, a number of novel fibre-based devices, potentially suitable for applications in the future wireless photonics communication systems, have been realised. Special single-mode fibres, namely, the high birefringence (Hi-Bi) fibre and the Er/Yb doped fibre have been employed so as to exploit their merits to achieve practical and cost-effective all-fibre architectures. A number of fibre-based complex signal processors for optical and radio frequencies using novel Hi-Bi fibre delay line filter architectures have been illustrated. In particular, operations such as multichannel flattop bandpass filtering, simultaneous complementary outputs and bidirectional nonreciprocal wavelength interleaving, have been demonstrated. The proposed configurations featured greatly reduced environmental sensitivity typical of coherent fibre delay line filter schemes, reconfigurable transfer functions, negligible chromatic dispersions, and ease of implementation, not easily achievable based on other techniques. A number of unique fibre grating devices for signal filtering and fibre laser applications have been realised. The concept of the superimposed fibre Bragg gratings has been extended to non-uniform grating structures and into Hi-Bi fibres to achieve highly useful grating devices such as overwritten phase-shifted fibre grating structure and widely/narrowly spaced polarization-discriminating filters that are not limited by the intrinsic fibre properties. In terms of the-fibre-based optical millimetre wave transmitters, unique approaches based on fibre laser configurations have been proposed and demonstrated. The ability of the dual-mode distributed feedback (DFB) fibre lasers to generate high spectral purity, narrow linewidth heterodyne signals without complex feedback mechanisms has been illustrated. A novel co-located dual DFB fibre laser configuration, based on the proposed superimposed phase-shifted fibre grating structure, has been further realised with highly desired operation characteristics without the need for costly high frequency synthesizers and complex feedback controls. Lastly, a novel cavity mode condition monitoring and optimisation scheme for short length, linear-cavity fibre lasers has been proposed and achieved. Based on the concept and simplicity of the superimposed fibre laser cavities structure, in conjunction with feedback controls, enhanced output performances from the fibre lasers have been achieved. The importance of such cavity mode assessment and feedback control for optimised fibre laser output performance has been illustrated.

This thesis presents detailed investigation of UV inscribed fibre grating based devices and novel developments in the applications of such devices in optical sensing and fibre laser systems. The major contribution of this PhD programme includes the systematic study on fabrication, spectral characteristics and applications of different types of UV written in-fibre gratings such as Type I and IA Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBGs), Chirped Fibre Bragg Gratings (CFBGs) and Tilted Fibre Gratings (TFGs) with small, large and 45º tilted structures inscribed in normal silica fibre. Three fabrication techniques including holographic, phase-mask and blank beam exposure scanning, which were employed to fabricate a range of gratings in standard single mode fibre, are fully discussed. The thesis reports the creation of smart structures with self-sensing capability by embedding FBG-array sensors in Al matrix composite. In another part of this study, we have demonstrated the particular significant improvements made in sensitising standard FBGs to the chemical surrounding medium by inducing microstructure to the grating by femtosecond (fs) patterning assisted chemical etching technique. Also, a major work is presented for the investigation on the structures, inscription methods and spectral Polarisation Dependent Loss (PDL) and thermal characteristics of different angle TFGs. Finally, a very novel application in realising stable single polarisation and multiwavelength switchable Erbium Doped Fibre Lasers (EDFLs) using intracavity polarisation selective filters based on TFG devices with tilted structures at small, large and exact 45° angles forms another important contribution of this thesis.

This thesis presents the design, fabrication and testing of novel grating based Optical Fibre Sensor (OFS) systems being interrogated using “off the shelf” interrogation systems, with the eventual development of marketable commercial systems at the forefront of the research. Both in the industrial weighing and aerospace industries, there has been a drive to investigate the feasibility of using optical fibre sensors being deployed where traditionally their electrical or mechanical counterparts would traditionally have been. Already, in the industrial weighing industry, commercial operators are deploying OFS-based Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems. Likewise, in the aerospace industry, OFS have been deployed to monitor such parameters as load history, impact detection, structural damage, overload detection, centre of gravity and the determination of blade shape. Based on the intrinsic properties of fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) and Long Period Fibre Gratings (LPFGs), a number of novel OFS-based systems have been realised. Experimental work has shown that in the case of static industrial weighing, FBGs can be integrated with current commercial products and used to detect applied loads. The work has also shown that embedding FBGs in e-glass, to form a sensing patch, can result in said patches being bonded to rail track, forming the basis of an FBG-based WIM system. The results obtained have been sufficiently encouraging to the industrial partner that this work will be progressed beyond the scope of the work presented in this thesis. Likewise, and to the best of the author’s knowledge, a novel Bragg grating based systems for aircraft fuel parameter sensing has been presented. FBG-based pressure sensors have been shown to demonstrate good sensitivity, linearity and repeatability, whilst LPFG-based systems have demonstrated a far greater sensitivity when compared to FBGs, as well the advantage of being potentially able to detect causes of fuel adulteration based on their sensitivity to refractive index (RI). In the case of the LPFG-based system, considerable work remains to be done on the mechanical strengthening to improve its survivability in a live aircraft fuel tank environment. The FBG system has already been developed to an aerospace compliant prototype and is due to be tested at the fuel testing facility based at Airbus, Filton, UK. It is envisaged by the author that in both application areas, continued research in this area will lead to the eventual development of marketable commercial products.

She Tsz Chung William. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-133). / Chapter 1. --- Introduction / Chapter 2. --- Review of Optical Logic --- p.11-28 / Chapter 2.1 --- All-Optical Approach / Chapter 2.2 --- Optoelectronic Approach / Chapter 2.3 --- Comparison of the Two Approaches / Chapter 3. --- High Speed Photodetectors applied in Optoelectronic Logic Design --- p.29-40 / Chapter 3.1 --- Photoconductive Switch / Chapter 3.2 --- Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Photodetector / Chapter 3.3 --- Design of Simple Logic Gates / Chapter 4. --- Device Fabrication and Characterization --- p.41-59 / Chapter 4.1 --- Design of Basic Structure / Chapter 4.2 --- Fabrication / Chapter 4.3 --- Mounting of Device / Chapter 4.4 --- Characterization / Chapter 5. --- Experimental Technique --- p.60-74 / Chapter 5.1 --- Measurement Procedure / Chapter 5.2 --- Optical Sources / Chapter 5.3 --- Optical Alignment / Chapter 5.4 --- Control of Optical Path Delay / Chapter 5.5 --- Measurement Automation / Chapter 6. --- Demonstration of Optoelectronic Logic Devices --- p.75-110 / Chapter 6.1 --- OR Gate / Chapter 6.2 --- Exclusive-OR Gate / Chapter 6.3 --- Exclusive-NOR Gate / Chapter 6.4 2 --- to 4 Decoder / Chapter 7. --- Discussion --- p.111-124 / Chapter 7.1 --- Improvements / Chapter 7.2 --- Extensions of this Project / Chapter 7.3 --- Prospects and Limitations of this Approach / Chapter 8. --- Conclusion --- p.125-126 / References --- p.127-133 / Appendix / Chapter I. --- List of Instruments --- p.134-136 / Chapter II. --- Properties of GaAs --- p.137 / Chapter III. --- List of Accepted and Submitted Publications during the Period of Study --- p.138

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: leaf [4].