Highly directional radiation generated by a tungsten thermal source

We report the design of a tungsten thermal source with extraordinarily high directivity in the near infrared, comparable to the directivity of a CO(2) laser. This high directivity is the signature of the long-range correlation of the electromagnetic field in the source plane. This phenomenon is due to the resonant thermal excitation of surface-plasmon polaritons. (c) 2005 Optical Society of America.