Thermal emission by metallic photonic crystal slabs

Abstract

Ordinary metallic photonic crystals have photonic band gaps, in which the density of states is strongly modified. Thermal emission of photons can be suppressed or enhanced accordingly. We consider that the thermal emission characteristics of metallic photonic crystal slab vary with different thicknesses, which in the thick limit approaches that of a photonic crystal and in the thin limit approaches that of a textured surface. We find that a thick tungsten photonic crystal suppresses emission in a specific range, while a thin slab suppresses low frequency emission.