Reviewed by Lexie CornerMar 14 2025
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Eindhoven University of Technology have developed an organic semiconductor that causes electrons to move in a spiral pattern. This semiconductor could power next-generation computing technologies like spintronics and quantum computing, or enhance the efficiency of OLED displays in televisions and smartphone screens.
Confocal microscopy image of a chiral semiconductor. Image Credit: Samarpita Sen, Rituparno Chowdhury
The semiconductor developed by the researchers emits circularly polarized light, which conveys information about the "handedness" of electrons. Most inorganic semiconductors, such as silicon, have symmetrical internal structures, which allow electrons to flow in any direction.
Chiral molecules, which are left- or right-handed mirror images of one another, are common in nature. Despite being crucial for biological processes like DNA synthesis, chirality is difficult to control and apply in electronics.
By arranging stacks of semiconducting molecules into ordered spiral columns, either left-handed or right-handed, the researchers created a chiral semiconductor using molecular design techniques inspired by nature.
This chiral semiconductor could have applications in display technology. Current displays often waste a significant amount of energy due to the way light is filtered. The researchers' chiral semiconductor naturally emits light, potentially reducing energy losses and making screens brighter and more energy-efficient.
When I started working with organic semiconductors, many people doubted their potential, but now they dominate display technology. Unlike rigid inorganic semiconductors, molecular materials offer incredible flexibility—allowing us to design entirely new structures, like chiral LEDs. It is like working with a Lego set with every kind of shape you can imagine, rather than just rectangular bricks.
Sir Richard Friend, Study Co-Lead and Professor, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge
The semiconductor is based on triazatruxene (TAT), which self-assembles into a helical stack. This enables electrons to spiral along its structure, like the thread of a screw.
When excited by blue or ultraviolet light, self-assembled TAT emits bright green light with strong circular polarization—an effect that has been difficult to achieve in semiconductors until now. The structure of TAT allows electrons to move efficiently while affecting how light is emitted.
Marco Preuss, Study Co-First Author and University Researcher, Eindhoven University of Technology
The researchers successfully integrated TAT into functional circularly polarized OLEDs (CP-OLEDs) by modifying the OLED fabrication process. These devices achieved exceptional performance, setting records for polarization, brightness, and efficiency.
We've essentially reworked the standard recipe for making OLEDs like we have in our smartphones, allowing us to trap a chiral structure within a stable, non-crystallizing matrix. This provides a practical way to create circularly polarized LEDs, something that has long eluded the field.
Rituparno Chowdhury, Study Co-First Author, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge
This study is part of a long-standing collaboration between Professor Bert Meijer's group at Eindhoven University of Technology and Professor Friend’s research group.
This is a real breakthrough in making a chiral semiconductor. By carefully designing the molecular structure, we’ve coupled the chirality of the structure to the motion of the electrons and that’s never been done at this level before.
Bert Meijer, Professor, Eindhoven University of Technology
Chiral semiconductors represent an advancement in the field of organic semiconductors, which currently supports a $60 billion industry. Beyond display applications, this breakthrough has implications for quantum computing and spintronics, a field that uses the spin of electrons to store and process information, potentially leading to faster and more secure computing systems.
The study was funded by the European Research Council and the Marie Curie Training Network of the European Union. Richard Friend is a fellow at St. John’s College, Cambridge, while Rituparno Chowdhury is at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.
Journal Reference:
Chowdhury, R. et. al. (2025) Circularly polarized electroluminescence from chiral supramolecular semiconductor thin films. Science. doi.org/10.1126/science.adt3011