Measuring the Magnetic Field Amplitude of rf Radiation by the Quasistatic Magnetic Field Effect in Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is a versatile tool to probe spin physics in organic semiconductor materials. A common method used to detect the spin-½ paramagnetic resonance in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is to measure the device resistance under EPR conditions, i.e., to record electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR). Here, we present ultralow-frequency EDMR experiments on OLEDs that exhibit a qualitatively new line shape because of a quasistatic magnetic field effect: the modulation of the static ultrasmall field-effect magnetoresistance arising from the magnetic field amplitude B1 of the radio frequency (rf) radiation. The disappearance of spin-½ Zeeman resonances of individual charge carriers in the OLED, i.e., the resonances at magnetic fields where the Zeeman splitting matches the photon energy of the incident rf radiation, coincides with the emergence of the quasistatic effect. We discuss the origin of this quasistatic magnetic field effect, its characteristic line shape in terms of the magnetic field dependence, the influence of experimental parameters, and the application potential with regards to EDMR experiments. The EDMR line shape can be inferred numerically from the magnetoresistance measurements. This approach enables a unique means of determining the drive-field strength B1 in EDMR under driving conditions where alternative methods employing an analysis of the Zeeman resonance - such as power broadening and Rabi flopping - are not applicable.