Direct Observation of Ultrafast Field-Induced Charge Generation in Ladder-Type Poly(Para-Phenylene)

Electric field-induced charge photogeneration in ladder-type poly(para-phenylene) is investigated by field-assisted femtosecond pump-probe experiments carried out on light emitting diodes. The characteristic photoinduced absorption band at 1.9 eV allows one to directly monitor the polaron population. We find that polarons are formed by exciton fission without intermediate states on a time scale of 10 ps. The buildup kinetics of the polaron population suggests a dissociation driven by exciton diffusion during interchain thermalization.