Yukio Narukawa

Bio: Yukio Narukawa is an academic researcher from Nichia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Photoluminescence & Quantum well. The author has an hindex of 40, co-authored 98 publications receiving 8711 citations. Previous affiliations of Yukio Narukawa include Kyoto University.

Surface-Plasmon-Enhanced Light Emitters Based on InGaN Quantum Wells

Abstract: Since 1993, InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been improved and commercialized, but these devices have not fulfilled their original promise as solid-state replacements for light bulbs as their light-emission efficiencies have been limited. Here we describe a method to enhance this efficiency through the energy transfer between quantum wells (QWs) and surface plasmons (SPs). SPs can increase the density of states and the spontaneous emission rate in the semiconductor, and lead to the enhancement of light emission by SP–QW coupling. Large enhancements of the internal quantum efficiencies (etaint) were measured when silver or aluminium layers were deposited 10 nm above an InGaN light-emitting layer, whereas no such enhancements were obtained from gold-coated samples. Our results indicate that the use of SPs would lead to a new class of very bright LEDs, and highly efficient solid-state light sources.

Role of self-formed InGaN quantum dots for exciton localization in the purple laser diode emitting at 420 nm

Abstract: Structural analysis was performed on a purple laser diode composed of In0.20Ga0.80N (3 nm)/ In0.05Ga0.95N (6 nm) multiple quantum wells, by employing transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis, both of which are assessed from the cross-sectional direction. It was found that the contrast of light and shade in the well layers corresponds to the difference in In composition. The main radiative recombination was attributed to excitons localized at deep traps which probably originate from the In-rich region in the wells acting as quantum dots. Photopumped lasing was observed at the high energy side of the main spontaneous emission bands.

White light emitting diodes with super-high luminous efficacy

Abstract: We fabricated three types of high luminous efficacy white light emitting diodes (LEDs). The first was a white LED with a high luminous efficacy (?L) of 249?lm?W?1 and a high luminous flux (v) of 14.4?lm at a forward-bias current of 20?mA. This ?L was approximately triple that of a tri-phosphor fluorescent lamp (90?lm?W?1). The blue LED used as the excitation source in this white LED had a high output power (e) of 47.1?mW and a high external quantum efficiency (?ex) of 84.3%. The second was a high-power white LED, fabricated from the above high-power blue LED, and had a high e of 756?mW at 350?mA. v and ?L of the high-power white LED were 203?lm and 183?lm?W?1 at 350?mA, respectively. The third was a high-power white LED fabricated from four high-power blue LED dies. v and ?L of the high-power white LED were 1913?lm and 135?lm?W?1 at 1?A, respectively. The white LED had a higher flux than a 20?W-class fluorescent lamp and 1.5 times the luminous efficacy of a tri-phosphor fluorescent lamp (90?lm?W?1).

Blue, Green, and Amber InGaN/GaN Light-Emitting Diodes on Semipolar {11-22} GaN Bulk Substrates

Abstract: We demonstrate the fabrication of blue, green, and amber InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on semipolar {11-22} bulk GaN substrates. The {11-22}GaN substrates used in this study are produced by cutting out from a c-oriented GaN bulk crystal grown by hydride vapor epitaxy. The LEDs have a dimension of 320 ×320 µm2 and are packed in an epoxide resin. The output power and external quantum efficiency (EQE) at a driving current of 20 mA are 1.76 mW and 3.0%, respectively, for the blue LED, 1.91 mW and 4.1% for the green LED, and 0.54 mW and 1.3% for the amber LED. The maximum output powers obtained with a maximum current of 200 mA are 19.0 mW (blue), 13.4 mW (green), and 1.9 mW (amber), while the maximum EQEs are 4.0% at 140 mA (blue), 4.9% at 0.2 mA (green), and 1.6% at 1 mA (amber). It is confirmed that the emission light is polarized along the [1-100] direction, reflecting the low crystal symmetry of the {11-22} plane.

Recombination dynamics of localized excitons in In 0.20 Ga 0.80 N- In 0.05 Ga 0.95 N multiple quantum wells

Abstract: Dynamical behavior of radiative recombination has been assessed in the ${\mathrm{In}}_{0.20}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.80}$N (2.5 nm)/ ${\mathrm{In}}_{0.05}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.95}$N (6.0 nm) multiple-quantum-well structure by means of transmittance, electroreflectance (ER), photoluminescence excitation (PLE), and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopy. The PL at 20 K was mainly composed of two emission bands whose peaks are located at 2.920 eV and 3.155 eV. Although the peak at 3.155 eV was weak under low photoexcitation, it grew superlinearly with increasing excitation intensity. The ER and PLE revealed that the transition at 3.155 eV is due to the excitons at quantized levels between n=1 conduction and n=1 A(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{9\mathrm{v}}$) valence bands, while the main PL peak at 2.920 eV is attributed to the excitons localized at the trap centers within the well. The TRPL features were well understood as the effect of localization where photogenerated excitons are transferred from the n=1 band to the localized centers, and then are localized further to the tail state.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

Plasmonics for improved photovoltaic devices

Abstract: The emerging field of plasmonics has yielded methods for guiding and localizing light at the nanoscale, well below the scale of the wavelength of light in free space. Now plasmonics researchers are turning their attention to photovoltaics, where design approaches based on plasmonics can be used to improve absorption in photovoltaic devices, permitting a considerable reduction in the physical thickness of solar photovoltaic absorber layers, and yielding new options for solar-cell design. In this review, we survey recent advances at the intersection of plasmonics and photovoltaics and offer an outlook on the future of solar cells based on these principles.

Chemistry and properties of nanocrystals of different shapes.

Abstract: The interest in nanoscale materials stems from the fact that new properties are acquired at this length scale and, equally important, that these properties * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone, 404-8940292; fax, 404-894-0294; e-mail, mostafa.el-sayed@ chemistry.gatech.edu. † Case Western Reserve UniversitysMillis 2258. ‡ Phone, 216-368-5918; fax, 216-368-3006; e-mail, burda@case.edu. § Georgia Institute of Technology. 1025 Chem. Rev. 2005, 105, 1025−1102

Plasmonics: merging photonics and electronics at nanoscale dimensions.

Abstract: Electronic circuits provide us with the ability to control the transport and storage of electrons. However, the performance of electronic circuits is now becoming rather limited when digital information needs to be sent from one point to another. Photonics offers an effective solution to this problem by implementing optical communication systems based on optical fibers and photonic circuits. Unfortunately, the micrometer-scale bulky components of photonics have limited the integration of these components into electronic chips, which are now measured in nanometers. Surface plasmon-based circuits, which merge electronics and photonics at the nanoscale, may offer a solution to this size-compatibility problem. Here we review the current status and future prospects of plasmonics in various applications including plasmonic chips, light generation, and nanolithography.

Plasmonics for extreme light concentration and manipulation.

Abstract: The unprecedented ability of nanometallic (that is, plasmonic) structures to concentrate light into deep-subwavelength volumes has propelled their use in a vast array of nanophotonics technologies and research endeavours. Plasmonic light concentrators can elegantly interface diffraction-limited dielectric optical components with nanophotonic structures. Passive and active plasmonic devices provide new pathways to generate, guide, modulate and detect light with structures that are similar in size to state-of-the-art electronic devices. With the ability to produce highly confined optical fields, the conventional rules for light-matter interactions need to be re-examined, and researchers are venturing into new regimes of optical physics. In this review we will discuss the basic concepts behind plasmonics-enabled light concentration and manipulation, make an attempt to capture the wide range of activities and excitement in this area, and speculate on possible future directions.