Nat Mater. 2011 Jul 24;10(9):676-81. doi: 10.1038/nmat3071.
Optoelectronic devices have long benefited from structuring in multiple dimensions on microscopic length scales. However, preserving crystal epitaxy, a general necessity for good optoelectronic properties, while imparting a complex three-dimensional structure remains a significant challenge. Three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals are one class of materials where epitaxy of 3D structures would enable new functionalities. Many 3D photonic crystal devices have been proposed, including zero-threshold lasers, low-loss waveguides, high-efficiency light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar cells, but have generally not been realized because of material limitations. Exciting concepts in metamaterials, including negative refraction and cloaking, could be made practical using 3D structures that incorporate electrically pumped gain elements to balance the inherent optical loss of such devices. Here we demonstrate the 3D-template-directed epitaxy of group III-V materials, which enables formation of 3D structured optoelectronic devices. We illustrate the power of this technique by fabricating an electrically driven 3D photonic crystal LED.
光电设备长期受益于微观尺度上的多维度结构。然而，在赋予复杂的三维结构的同时保持晶体外延（良好光电性能的普遍必要条件）仍然是一个重大挑战。三维（3D）光子晶体就是一类材料，如果能够实现 3D 结构的外延，就可以实现新的功能。已经提出了许多 3D 光子晶体器件，包括零阈值激光器、低损耗波导、高效率发光二极管（LED）和太阳能电池，但由于材料的限制，一般都没有实现。利用包含电泵浦增益元件的 3D 结构来平衡这些器件固有的光损耗，就可以使超材料中的一些激动人心的概念（包括负折射和隐身）变得实用。在这里，我们展示了 III-V 族材料的 3D 模板导向外延，这使得能够形成 3D 结构的光电设备。我们通过制造电驱动的 3D 光子晶体 LED 来说明这项技术的威力。
