Materials Science World Congress

Optoelectronic materials are the middleman between electrical and optical technology, found in things such as fiber optics and things that convert electrical signals to light or light to electrical signals. These are the basics for many high-tech things like light-emitting diodes (LEDs), laser systems, solar cells, and photodetectors.

All optoelectronic materials are based on semiconductors, which have the unique property that they can conduct electricity when energized and yet interact with light. Silicon and gallium arsenide have been the staple of optoelectronics for years, but in light of recent events, newer materials such as perovskites, organic semiconductors, and quantum dots have been emerging. These have the benefits of greater efficiencies, tunable optics, and the ability to be manufactured from cheap techniques.

Optoelectronic materials are quite significant since they are used in the production of LEDs and OLEDs, which are used just about everywhere in displays lighting indicator systems etc. These things have substances in them that give off light really well when electrical current is passed through them, therefore, whiter, more energy-conservative screens.

Talking energy, photovoltaic materials, they're in those solar cells to absorb light and convert it to electrical energy. In this case, optoelectronic materials are being fine-tuned for greater power conversion efficiency, making solar energy cheaper.

Another example is lasers and photodetectors which use optoelectronic materials to emit and detect light, and they are used in everything from medical equipment to telecommunications.

Optoelectronic materials are constantly advancing and are changing the nature of energy, data communication, and display technology through higher performance, efficiency, and flexibility for a large variety of applications.