Direct Transition from Triplet Excitons to Hybrid Light–Matter States via Triplet–Triplet Annihilation

Abstract

Strong light–matter coupling generates hybrid states that inherit properties of both light and matter, effectively allowing the modification of the molecular potential energy landscape. This phenomenon opens up a plethora of options for manipulating the properties of molecules, with a broad range of applications in photochemistry and photophysics. In this article, we use strong light–matter coupling to transform an endothermic triplet–triplet annihilation process into an exothermic one. The resulting gradual on–off photon upconversion experiment demonstrates a direct conversion between molecular states and hybrid light–matter states. Our study provides a direct evidence that energy can relax from nonresonant low energy molecular states directly into hybrid light–matter states and lays the groundwork for tunable photon upconversion systems that modify molecular properties in situ by optical cavities rather than with chemical modifications.