Effect of photonic bandgap on luminescence from silicon nanocrystals

The modification of the luminescence of silicon nanocrystals experiencing the effect of a photonic bandgap in a 2D photonic crystal was investigated. The time-integrated photoluminescence spectra detected in the plane of the photonic crystal revealed a dip in the light emission corresponding to the wavelength of the bandgap, whose position changes according to the geometry of the prepatterned pillar array. The calculated emission pattern for a pointlike dipole placed in such a structure suggests an inhibition of the spontaneous emission rate at certain directions as a physical reason for the observed modification of luminescence. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.