Open AccessSpectrally selective thermal radiation based on intersubband transitions and photonic crystals
Author(s) -
Tanemasa Asano,
Kimihiro Mochizuki,
M. Yamaguchi,
M. Chaminda,
Susumu Noda
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.019190
Subject(s) - photonic crystal , black body radiation , optics , optoelectronics , photon , absorption (acoustics) , radiation , photonics , physics , materials science , polariton , quantum well , thermal radiation , radiance , laser , thermodynamics
We propose to use a combination of intersubband transitions in semiconductor quantum wells with a two dimensional photonic crystal cavity to obtain narrow, strong thermal radiation spectra. Single peak thermal radiation is obtained due to the Lorentzian shape absorption spectrum of the intersubband transition and the single mode cavity embedded within the photonic band gap. We present an analysis based on the quantum Langevin theory. It is shown that local radiance of the narrow emission peak can be maximized to approximately 80% of the radiation from the blackbody devices when the photon dissipation rates of the cavity mode due to the intersubband absorption and that due to the radiation to the free space modes are equal. Guidelines for concrete device design are introduced, and an example device structure is shown.