Tunable photonic crystal

1. A photonic crystal device comprising:

a semiconductor material layer capable of being coupled to an energy source for introducing energy to said semiconductor material layer;

a dielectric material layer overlaying the semiconductor material layer; and

a conductive material layer overlaying the dielectric material layer, and including periodically distributed surface features,

wherein the device is adapted to emit and/or absorb electromagnetic energy having spectral characteristics determined at least in part by parameters of said periodically distributed surface features, wherein the periodically distributed surface features comprise an array of holes, and holes individually extending through at least a portion of the conductive material layer, and wherein said holes are at least partially filled with a material selected from a group consisting of a dielectric material, a non-linear optical material, a liquid crystal material, a piezoelectric material, a pyroelectric material, and a ferroelectric material; and

wherein the device is characterized by at least one feature from the list consisting of:

a) said periodically distributed surface features are distributed in a geometry selected from a group of regular geometry distributions consisting of parallelogram and hexagon, and quasi-regular geometry distributions consisting of Archimedean tiling,

b) said conductive layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage, and

c) said periodically distributed surface features include distributed defects which comprise a first portion said surface features which are structurally different from a second portion of said surface features.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said holes have a shape selected from the group consisting of circle, n-point star, square, triangle, hexagon, donut, C and reverse C, rectangle, circle with a notch, triple-leg, and tri-bone.

3. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said periodically distributed surface features are distributed in a geometry selected from a group of regular geometry distributions consisting of parallelogram and hexagon, and quasi-regular geometry distributions consisting of Archimedean tiling.

4. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the holes individually extend through the metallic material layer and at least a portion of the dielectric material layer.

5. A device according to claim 4 , wherein the holes individually extend through the dielectric material layer and at least a portion of the semiconductor material layer.

6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the holes individually extend through the conductive material layer, the dielectric material layer, and the semiconductor material layer.

7. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of single-crystal silicon, polysilicon, single-crystal silicon carbide, polycrystalline silicon carbide, germanium, the group III-V semiconductors, and the group II-VI semiconductors, and semiconductors plastics and small molecule semiconducting organics.

8. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said dielectric material layer comprises a dielectric material selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, alumina, sapphire, aluminum nitride, silicon oxinitride, and plastic.

9. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said conductive material layer comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, aluminum, nickel, silver, titanium, tantalum, platinum, and a heavily doped semiconductor.

10. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said conductive material layer comprises a conductive ceramic selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride, tantalum nitride and indium tin oxide.

11. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said conductive material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

12. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

13. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said periodically distributed surface features include distributed defects, which comprise a first portion said surface features which are structurally different from a second portion of said surface features.

14. A device according to claim 13 wherein said distributed defects are periodically distributed.

15. A device according to claim 14 , wherein said periodically distributed defects occur at positions of every third surface feature.

16. A photonic crystal device comprising:

a semiconductor material layer capable of being coupled to an energy source for introducing energy to said semiconductor material layer;

a dielectric material layer overlaying the semiconductor material layer; and

a conductive material layer overlaying the dielectric material layer, and including periodically distributed surface features,

wherein the device is adapted to emit and detect electromagnetic energy having spectral characteristics determined at least in part by parameters of said periodically distributed surface features, wherein the periodically distributed surface features comprise an array of holes and the holes individually extend through the conductive material layer, said dielectric layer and said semiconductor layer;

wherein said periodically distributed surface features are distributed in a geometry selected from a group of regular geometry distributions consisting of parallelogram and hexagon and quasi-regular geometry distributions consisting of Archimedean tiling.

17. A device according to claim 16 , wherein said holes have a shape selected from the group consisting of circle, n-point star, square, triangle, hexagon, donut, C and reverse C, rectangle, circle with a notch, triple-leg, and tri-bone.

18. A device according to claim 16 , wherein said conductive material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

19. A device according to claim 16 , wherein said semiconductor material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

20. A photonic crystal device comprising:

a semiconductor material layer capable of being coupled to an energy source for introducing energy to said semiconductor material layer;

a dielectric material layer overlaying the semiconductor material layer; and

a conductive material layer overlaying the dielectric material layer, and including periodically distributed surface features, wherein the device is adapted to emit and/or absorb electromagnetic energy, having said emitted electromagnetic energy has spectral characteristics determined at least in part by parameters of said periodically distributed surface features, said parameters including shape, size, depth, distribution geometry, and periodicity;

wherein said surface features have a shape selected from the group consisting of circle, triangle, annulus, C and reverse C, circle with a notch, triple-leg, and tri-bone;

wherein the device is characterized by at least one feature from the list consisting of:

a) the periodically distributed surface features comprise an array of holes and the holes individually extend through at least a portion of the conductive material layer, wherein the periodically distributed surface features comprise an array of protrusions extending from said conductive material layer, and

b) said periodically distributed surface features are distributed in a geometry selected from a group or regular geometry distributions consisting of parallelogram and hexagon and quasi-regular geometry distributions consisting of Archimedean tiling.

21. A device according to claim 20 , wherein the periodically distributed surface features comprise an array of holes and the holes individually extend through at least a portion of the conductive material layer.

22. A device according to claim 21 , the periodically distributed surface features comprise an array of protrusions extending from said conductive layer.

23. A device according to claim 20 , wherein said periodically distributed surface features are distributed in a geometry selected from a group or regular geometry distributions consisting of parallelogram and hexagon and quasi-regular geometry distributions consisting of Archimedean tiling.

24. A device according to claim 20 , wherein said conductive material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

25. A device according to claim 20 , wherein said semiconductor material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

26. A photonic crystal comprising:

a semiconductor material layer capable of being coupled to an energy source for introducing energy to said semiconductor material layer;

a dielectric material layer overlaying the semiconductor material layer; and

a conductive material layer overlaying the dielectric material layer, and including periodically distributed surface features, wherein the device is adapted to emit and/or absorb electromagnetic energy having spectral characteristics determined at least in part by parameters of said periodically distributed surface features,

wherein the periodically distributed surface features comprises an array of holes and the holes individually extend through at least a portion of the conductive material layer, wherein said semiconductor material layer includes an array of holes extending at least partially therethrough;

wherein said holes in said metallic material layer and said holes in said semiconductor layer each extend along mutually parallel axes;

and wherein the device is characterized by at least one feature from the list consisting of:

a) said axes of said holes of said conductive material layer and said axes of said holes of said semiconductor material layer are coaxial,

b) said axes of said holes of said conductive material layer and said axes of said holes of said semiconductor material layer are axially offset, and

c) said holes of said conductive material layer and said holes of said semiconductor material layer have different geometry.

27. A device according to claim 26 wherein said axes of said holes of said conductive material layer and said axes of said holes of said semiconductor material layer are coaxial.

28. A device according to claim 26 wherein said axes of said holes of said conductive material layer and said axes of said holes of said semiconductor material layer are axially offset.

29. A device according to claim 26 wherein said holes of said conductive material layer and said holes of said semiconductor material layer have the different geometry.

30. A device according to claim 26 , wherein said conductive material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

31. A device according to claim 26 , wherein said semiconductor material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

32. A photonic crystal device comprising:

a semiconductor material layer capable of being coupled to an energy source for introducing energy to said semiconductor material layer;

a dielectric material layer overlaying the semiconductor material layer; and

a conductive material layer overlaying the dielectric material layer, and including periodically distributed surface features,

wherein the device is adapted to emit and/or absorb electromagnetic energy having spectral characteristics determined at least in part by parameters of said periodically distributed surface features, wherein the periodically distributed surface features comprise an array of holes, and holes individually extending through at least a portion of the conductive material layer, and wherein said holes are at least partially filled with a material selected from a group consisting of a dielectric material, a non-linear optical material, a liquid crystal material, a piezoelectric material, a pyroelectric material, and a ferroelectric material; and

wherein said conductive material layer comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, aluminum, nickel, silver, titanium, tantalum, platinum, and a heavily doped semiconductor.

33. A device according to claim 32 , wherein said conductive material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

34. A device according to claim 32 , wherein said semiconductor material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

35. A device according to claim 32 , wherein said conductive material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

36. A device according to claim 32 , wherein said semiconductor material layer is biased with a voltage, and wherein said spectral characteristics of said electromagnetic energy is determined by said voltage.

37. A photonic crystal device comprising:

a semiconductor material layer capable of being coupled to an energy source for introducing energy to said semiconductor material layer;

a dielectric material layer overlaying the semiconductor material layer; and

a conductive material layer overlaying the dielectric material layer, and including periodically distributed surface features,

wherein the device is adapted to emit and/or absorb electromagnetic energy having spectral characteristics determined at least in part by parameters of said periodically distributed surface features, wherein the periodically distributed surface features comprise an array of holes, and holes individually extending through at least a portion of the conductive material layer, and wherein said holes are at least partially filled with a material selected from a group consisting of a dielectric material, a non-linear optical material, a liquid crystal material, a piezoelectric material, a pyroelectric material, and a ferroelectric material; and

wherein said conductive material layer comprises a conductive ceramic selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride, tantalum nitride and indium tin oxide.