Optical probes of excited states in poly(p-phenylenevinylene)

We have studied electronic excited states in films of poly(p-phenylenevinylene) using picosecond transient and cw photomodulation, photoluminescence, and their excitation spectra, as well as electroabsorption spectroscopy. We have determined all the important energy levels of singlet excitons with odd and even parity, the onset of the continuum band, the two-electron (biexciton) states, and the two relevant triplet states, and show that good agreement exists with models involving electron correlation.