Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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HL: Fachverband Halbleiterphysik
HL 15: Organic Semiconductors: Optics and Photonics
HL 15.7: Talk
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 11:15–11:30, POT/0006
OLED-based implants for neurostimulation — •Sumit Mohapatra1, Falko Fuhrmann2, Julian F. Butscher1,3, Sabina Hillebrandt1,3, Martin Fuhrmann2, and Malte C. Gather1,3,4 — 1Humboldt Centre for Nano- and Biophotonics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cologne, Germany — 2Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, DZNE, Bonn, Germany — 3School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, UK — 4CECAD, University of Cologne, Germany
Light-based neurostimulation allows precise manipulation of neural circuits, yet delivering light to deep tissue remains a challenge. OLEDs combine spectral tunability, mechanical flexibility, and thin-film integration, enabling fabrication of neural probes for localized stimulation.
We advance this approach by integrating OLEDs onto magnetoelectric substrates to create fully wireless neuromodulation platforms, which are 200 µm-thick, contain 300*500 µm2 OLEDs delivering mean power densities of 0.04 mW/mm2. Tunable kilohertz-range resonances allow clustered multi-pixel operation, while thin-film encapsulation ensures biocompatibility and protection in a physiological environment. We also introduce a flexible OLED-based neuroprobe by integrating OLEDs onto 15 µm-thick commercial electrophysiology arrays. Using these pre-validated implantable platforms, they are transformed into µOLED arrays with 28 individually addressable µOLEDs (50 µm diameter, 300 µm pitch), achieving power density up to 0.1 mW/mm2 at 7 V. In vivo optogenetic experiments using µ-OLEDs in mice confirm effective neuronal activation, verified by two-photon calcium imaging.
Keywords: OLED neuroprobes; optogenetics; wireless neural interfaces; flexible implants