Enhancement and suppression of thermal emission by a three-dimensional photonic crystal

The emission and detection of electromagnetic radiation are essential optical processes that govern performance of lasers, detectors and solar cells. Through light-photonic crystal interaction, a three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystal offers a way to alter such optical processes. Experimental realization is done by building a thin slab of 3D photonic crystal onto a silicon material. The 3D crystal structure is found to be highly effective in suppressing silicon thermal radiation in the photonic band gap spectral regime. Emission is also enhanced in the photonic passbands. At passband resonant frequencies, a thin slab of 3D photonic crystal actually acts like a planar blackbody.