Volume-scalable high-brightness three-dimensional visible light source

1. A light source comprising:

a three-dimensional photonic crystal having a photonic density of states, wherein the three-dimensional photonic crystal comprises at least one semiconductor with a direct bandgap and wherein at least one p-n junction is located within the three-dimensional photonic crystal; and

electrical contacts configured to produce electrical biasing of the at least one p-n junction to provide emission of light by recombination of electrical carriers at the p-n junction;

wherein the emission comprises a light spectrum suitable for modification by the photonic density-of-states of the three-dimensional photonic crystal.

2. The light source of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional photonic crystal comprises a face-centered-cubic (FCC), inverse FCC, diamond, inverse diamond, simple cubic (SCC), inverse SCC, body-centered-cubic (BCC), inverse BCC, or hexagonal (HCP) crystal structure.

3. The light source of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional photonic crystal comprises an opal, an inverse opal, a logpile, or an inverse logpile crystal structure.

4. The light source of claim 1 , wherein the at least one semiconductor with a direct bandgap comprises a group III nitride semiconductor.

5. The light source of claim 1 , wherein the at least one semiconductor with a direct bandgap comprises GaN, AlGaN, InGaN, InN, AlN, GaAs, InGaAs, AlGaAs, CdS, CdSe, ZnS, ZnSe, InP, InAs, GaSb, InSb, or ZnO.

6. The light source of claim 1 , further comprising at least phosphor in the three-dimensional photonic crystal.

7. The light source of claim 6 , wherein the at least one phosphor comprises CdS, CdSe, PbS, PbSe, ZnSe, or ZnS.

8. The light source of claim 1 , further comprising a cavity defect in the three-dimensional photonic crystal providing a transmission mode within a photonic bandgap of the photonic crystal.

9. The light source of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional photonic crystal comprises a logpile structure.

10. The light source of claim 9 , wherein the logpile structure comprises a p-n junction at a desired location between a plurality of n-type semiconductor layers and a plurality of p-type semiconductor layers to provide a bulk p-n junction.

11. The light source of claim 9 , wherein the logpile structure comprises alternating n-type and p-type semiconductor layers.

12. The light source of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the alternating n-type and p-type semiconductor layers are electrically biased to provide at least one p-n diode junction.

13. The light source of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the alternating n-type and p-type semiconductor layers are electrically biased to provide at least one n-p-n transistor-like junction.

14. The light source of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the n-type or p-type semiconductor layers further comprises a quantum well layer.

15. The light source of claim 9 , wherein the logpile structure comprises n-type semiconductor rods conformally coated with a p-type semiconductor layer.

16. The light source of claim 15 , wherein the conformal p-type semiconductor layer further comprises a quantum well layer.

17. The light source of claim 15 , wherein the conformal p-type semiconductor layer further comprises a plurality of quantum dots.

18. The light source of claim 9 , wherein the logpile structure comprises p-type semiconductor rods conformally coated with a n-type semiconductor layer.

19. The light source of claim 18 , wherein the conformal n-type semiconductor layer further comprises a quantum well layer.

20. The light source of claim 18 , wherein the conformal n-type semiconductor layer further comprises a plurality of quantum dots.