Highly efficient light emission at λ=1.5 μm by a three-dimensional tungsten photonic crystal

For what is believed to be the first time, a three-dimensional tungsten photonic crystal is demonstrated to emit light effectively at wavelength lambda = 1.5 mum. At a bias of V = 7 V, the thermal emission exhibits a full width at half-maximum of Deltalambda = 0.85 mum. Within this narrow band, the emitted optical power is 4.5 W and the electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency is similar to22% per emitting surface. This unique emission is made possible by a large, absolute bandgap in the infrared lambda and flat photonic dispersion near the band edges and in a narrow absorption band. (C) 2003 Optical Society of America.