Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 30, 2026

In Situ Measurement and Correlation of Cell Density and Light Emission of Bioluminescent Bacteria

In Situ Measurement and Correlation of Cell Density and Light Emission of Bioluminescent Bacteria

Published on: June 28, 2018

A unified model for light emission from solids.

Jean-Jacques Greffet¹, Aurelian Loirette-Pelous²

¹Université Paris-Saclay, Institut d'Optique Graduate School, CNRS, Lab. Charles Fabry, Palaiseau, France. jean-jacques.greffet@institutoptique.fr.

Nature Nanotechnology

|January 28, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

Emission Spectra

Emission Spectra

When solids, liquids, or condensed gases are heated sufficiently, they radiate some of the excess energy as light. Photons produced in this manner have a range of energies, and thereby produce a continuous spectrum in which an unbroken series of wavelengths is present.

Metallic Solids

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....

Structures of Solids

Structures of Solids

Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...

Network Covalent Solids

Network Covalent Solids

Network covalent solids contain a three-dimensional network of covalently bonded atoms as found in the crystal structures of nonmetals like diamond, graphite, silicon, and some covalent compounds, such as silicon dioxide (sand) and silicon carbide (carborundum, the abrasive on sandpaper). Many minerals have networks of covalent bonds.
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...

Molecular and Ionic Solids

Molecular and Ionic Solids

Crystalline solids are divided into four types: molecular, ionic, metallic, and covalent network based on the type of constituent units and their interparticle interactions.
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...

Molecular Comparison of Gases, Liquids, and Solids

Molecular Comparison of Gases, Liquids, and Solids

Particles in a solid are tightly packed together (fixed shape) and often arranged in a regular pattern; in a liquid, they are close together with no regular arrangement (no fixed shape); in a gas, they are far apart with no regular arrangement (no fixed shape). Particles in a solid vibrate about fixed positions (cannot flow) and do not generally move in relation to one another; in a liquid, they move past each other (can flow) but remain in essentially constant contact; in a gas, they move...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Electroluminescence and energy transfer mediated by hyperbolic polaritons.

Nature·2025

Same author

Theory of Photoluminescence by Metallic Structures.

ACS nano·2024

Same author

2D Silver-Nanoplatelets Metasurface for Bright Directional Photoluminescence, Designed with the Local Kirchhoff's Law.

ACS nano·2024

Same author

Ultrasmall and tunable TeraHertz surface plasmon cavities at the ultimate plasmonic limit.

Nature communications·2023

Same author

Over-coupled resonator for broadband surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA).

Nature communications·2023

Same author

An incandescent metasurface for quasimonochromatic polarized mid-wave infrared emission modulated beyond 10 MHz.

Nature communications·2021

This review unifies theories for light emission from solids, combining statistical physics, quantum mechanics, and electromagnetism. It offers a framework to understand diverse emission processes in materials.

Area of Science:

Solid-state physics
Electromagnetism
Quantum mechanics

Background:

Light emission from solids involves diverse phenomena like incandescence, fluorescence, and electroluminescence.
Existing models often rely on statistical physics, quantum mechanics, or Maxwell's equations.
Many systems require a combined approach due to complex electron-environment interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a unified theoretical framework for light emission processes in solids.
To integrate recent theoretical advancements for quantitative analysis.
To provide a comprehensive understanding of electromagnetic wave emission from solids.

Main Methods:

Overview of the electrodynamics approach for incandescence.
Extension of the framework to optically and electrically pumped semiconductors.

More Related Videos

Fabrication of White Light-emitting Electrochemical Cells with Stable Emission from Exciplexes

Fabrication of White Light-emitting Electrochemical Cells with Stable Emission from Exciplexes

Published on: November 15, 2016

Design and Use of a Full Flow Sampling System FFS for the Quantification of Methane Emissions

Design and Use of a Full Flow Sampling System FFS for the Quantification of Methane Emissions

Published on: June 12, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 30, 2026

In Situ Measurement and Correlation of Cell Density and Light Emission of Bioluminescent Bacteria

In Situ Measurement and Correlation of Cell Density and Light Emission of Bioluminescent Bacteria

Published on: June 28, 2018

Fabrication of White Light-emitting Electrochemical Cells with Stable Emission from Exciplexes

Fabrication of White Light-emitting Electrochemical Cells with Stable Emission from Exciplexes

Published on: November 15, 2016

Design and Use of a Full Flow Sampling System FFS for the Quantification of Methane Emissions

Design and Use of a Full Flow Sampling System FFS for the Quantification of Methane Emissions

Published on: June 12, 2016

Generalization to non-equilibrium systems with examples.

Main Results:

A unified framework is proposed for light emission in solids.
The framework successfully models various emission processes.
Applications are demonstrated for diverse solid-state systems.

Conclusions:

The unified framework provides a powerful tool for studying light emission in solids.
It bridges different theoretical approaches for a comprehensive understanding.
This work facilitates further research into novel light-emitting materials and devices.