Optical emitter based on micro-scaled photonic structures

A midwave infrared light emitting device (LED) with a micro-scaled photonic structure coupling to a resonator is proposed. The photonic structure is used to create localized surface plasmons (LSP), with which significant optical confinement can occur near the surface, thereby increasing the internal emission quantum efficiency. The LED volume is further designed into a resonator, with which the LSP resonates with the radiating mode of the resonator, thereby increasing the light extraction efficiency. The similarly designed structure can also be used as a wavelength-selective passive emitter to suppress the thermal radiation beyond a cutoff wavelength. Therefore, the designed emitter structure can be useful in a wide range of applications.