Photonic-crystal GaN light-emitting diodes with tailored guided modes distribution

Abstract

We relate the currently limited efficiency of photonic crystal (PhC)-assisted gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to the existence of unextracted guided modes. To remedy this, we introduce epitaxial structures which modify the distribution of guided modes. LEDs are fabricated according to this concept, and the tailored band structure is determined experimentally. We investigate theoretically the consequences of this improvement, which significantly enhances the potential for efficient light extraction by PhCs. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.