Optical emission near a high-impedance mirror

Abstract: Solid state light emitters rely on metallic contacts with high sheet-conductivity for effective charge injection. Unfortunately, such contacts also support surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitations that dissipate optical energy into the metal and limit the external quantum efficiency. Here, inspired by the concept of radio-frequency (RF) high-impedance surfaces and their use in conformal antennas we illustrate how electrodes can be nanopatterned to simultaneously provide a high DC electrical conductivity and high-impedance at optical frequencies. Such electrodes do not support SPPs across the visible spectrum and greatly suppress dissipative losses while facilitating a desirable Lambertian emission profile. We verify this concept by studying the emission enhancement and photoluminescence lifetime for a dye emitter layer deposited on the electrodes.