Highly directional enhanced radiation from sources embedded inside two and three-dimensional photonic crystals

In this work, we have experimentally and theoretically studied the emission of radiation from a monopole source embedded in a two and three dimensional photonic crystal. We have demonstrated the enhancement of radiation at the band edges and at the cavity modes including coupled cavity modes. We have shown that the emission of radiation from a source depends on the group velocities of the modes and on the electric field intensities of the modes at the source location. Moreover, we have studied the angular distribution of power emitted from a radiation source embedded inside a photonic crystal. Our results show that it is possible to obtain highly directive radiation sources operating at the band edge of the photonic crystal.