Showing papers on "Absorption (electromagnetic radiation) published in 2014"

Study on the stability of CH3NH3PbI3films and the effect of post-modification by aluminum oxide in all-solid-state hybrid solar cells

Abstract: Degradation of perovskite has been a big problem in all-solid-state perovskite solar cells, although many researchers mainly focus on the high efficiency of these solar cells. This paper studies the stability of CH3NH3PbI3 films and finds that CH3NH3PbI3 is sensitive to moisture. The degradation reaction is proposed according to UV-Vis spectra and XRD results. In order to improve the degradation of CH3NH3PbI3, we introduce aluminum oxide as a post-modification material into all-solid-state perovskite solar cells for the first time. UV-Vis spectra show that Al2O3 modification could maintain the absorption of CH3NH3PbI3 after degradation. XRD results reveal that Al2O3 could protect perovskite from degradation. Moreover, the device post-modified by Al2O3 has shown more brilliant stability than that without modification when exposed to moisture. EIS results and dark current illustrate that the modification increased interface resistance in the dark, indicating the restrained electron recombination process.

Meso-Substituted Porphyrins for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract: Among the several approaches for harnessing solar energy and converting it into electricity, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) represent one of the most promising methods for future large-scale power production from renewable energy sources. In these cells, the sensitizer is one of the key components harvesting solar radiation and converting it into electric current. The electrochemical, photophysical, and ground and excited state properties of the sensitizer play an important role for charge transfer dynamics at the semiconductor interface. Moreover, for long-term stability and practical applications, electrolytes based on the iodine/triiodine couple also suffer from two other disadvantages: the corrosive effect toward the metal electrodes, and the partial absorption of the visible light by triiodine anions. These issues hence constitute one of the reasons that have encouraged the development of alternative iodine-free redox couples in liquid electrolytes for DSSCs.

Cross-Stacking Aligned Carbon-Nanotube Films to Tune Microwave Absorption Frequencies and Increase Absorption Intensities

Abstract: Aligned carbon-nanotube (CNT) sheets are used as building blocks to prepare light-weight, frequency-tunable and high-performance microwave absorbers, and the absorption frequency can be accurately controlled by stacking them with different intersectional angles. A remarkable reflection loss of -47.66 dB is achieved by stacking four aligned CNT sheets with an intersectional angle of 90° between two neighboring ones. The incorporation of a second phase such as a metal and a conducting polymer greatly enhances the microwave-absorption capability.

Optical properties and band gap of single- and few-layer MoTe2 crystals.

Abstract: Single- and few-layer crystals of exfoliated MoTe2 have been characterized spectroscopically by photoluminescence, Raman scattering, and optical absorption measurements. We find that MoTe2 in the monolayer limit displays strong photoluminescence. On the basis of complementary optical absorption results, we conclude that monolayer MoTe2 is a direct-gap semiconductor with an optical band gap of 1.10 eV. This new monolayer material extends the spectral range of atomically thin direct-gap materials from the visible to the near-infrared.

Active Tunable Absorption Enhancement with Graphene Nanodisk Arrays

Abstract: If not for its inherently weak optical absorption at visible and infrared wavelengths, graphene would show exceptional promise for optoelectronic applications. Here we show that by nanopatterning a graphene layer into an array of closely packed graphene nanodisks, its absorption efficiency can be increased from less than 3% to 30% in the infrared region of the spectrum. We examine the dependence of the enhanced absorption on nanodisk size and interparticle spacing. By incorporating graphene nanodisk arrays into an active device, we demonstrate that this enhanced absorption efficiency is voltage-tunable, indicating strong potential for nanopatterned graphene as an active medium for infrared electro-optic devices.

Metamaterial Perfect Absorber Based Hot Electron Photodetection

Abstract: While the nonradiative decay of surface plasmons was once thought to be only a parasitic process that limits the performance of plasmonic devices, it has recently been shown that it can be harnessed in the form of hot electrons for use in photocatalysis, photovoltaics, and photodetectors. Unfortunately, the quantum efficiency of hot electron devices remains low due to poor electron injection and in some cases low optical absorption. Here, we demonstrate how metamaterial perfect absorbers can be used to achieve near-unity optical absorption using ultrathin plasmonic nanostructures with thicknesses of 15 nm, smaller than the hot electron diffusion length. By integrating the metamaterial with a silicon substrate, we experimentally demonstrate a broadband and omnidirectional hot electron photodetector with a photoresponsivity that is among the highest yet reported. We also show how the spectral bandwidth and polarization-sensitivity can be manipulated through engineering the geometry of the metamaterial unit ...

Surface plasmon resonance enhanced light absorption and photothermal therapy in the second near-infrared window.

Abstract: Enhanced near-field at noble metal nanoparticle surfaces due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) has been researched in fields ranging from biomedical to photoelectrical applications. However, it is rarely explored on nonmetallic nanomaterials discovered in recent years, which can also support LSPR by doping-induced free charge carriers, let alone the investigation of an intricate system involving both. Here we construct a dual plasmonic hybrid nanosystem Au–Cu9S5 with well controlled interfaces to study the coupling effect of LSPR originating from the collective electron and hole oscillations. Cu9S5 LSPR is enhanced by 50% in the presence of Au, and the simulation results confirm the coupling effect and the enhanced local field as well as the optical power absorption on Cu9S5 surface. This enhanced optical absorption cross section, high photothermal transduction efficiency (37%), large light penetration depth at 1064 nm, excellent X-ray attenuation ability, and low cytotoxicity enable Au–Cu9S5 ...

Total Absorption in a Graphene Monolayer in the Optical Regime by Critical Coupling with a Photonic Crystal Guided Resonance

Abstract: We numerically demonstrate total absorption in graphene in the near-infrared and visible wavelength ranges by means of critical coupling with guided resonances of a photonic crystal slab. In this wavelength range, there is no plasmonic response in undoped graphene, so the critical coupling is entirely controlled by the properties of the photonic crystal resonance. We discuss the general theory and conditions for absorption enhancement and critical coupling in a thin film and give design rules for a totally absorbing system. We present examples in the near-infrared and visible, using both a lossless metallic mirror and a realistic multilayer dielectric mirror.

Graphene-wrapped ZnO hollow spheres with enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption properties

Abstract: Graphene-wrapped ZnO hollow spheres were synthesized by a two-step process, which combined a hydrothermal reaction with surface modification. The experimental results show that reduced graphene oxide sheets adhere entirely to the surface of the ZnO hollow spheres consisting of nanoparticles. The unique structure effectively decreases the density of the composite without sacrificing the contact between graphene and the nanoparticles. Different mass ratios of graphene to ZnO hollow spheres mixed in a paraffin wax matrix (50 wt%) were prepared to investigate the electromagnetic wave absorption properties in the X-band region. When the mass ratio of graphene oxide to ZnO is 12 : 88, the composite exhibits a maximum absorption of −45.05 dB at 9.7 GHz with a sample thickness of only 2.2 mm. The fundamental mechanism based on electrical conductivity and the polarization between the graphene sheets and ZnO nanoparticles is discussed. The hierarchical structure of graphene-wrapped ZnO hollow spheres exhibits a promising designable approach to lightweight electromagnetic wave absorbing materials.

Fe-doped and -mediated graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets for enhanced photocatalytic performance under natural sunlight

Abstract: Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of highly efficient Fe-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets via a facile and cost effective method. The synthesized Fe-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets were well characterized by various analytical techniques. The results revealed that the Fe exists mainly in the +3 oxidation state in the Fe-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets. Fe doping of g-C3N4 nanosheets has a great influence on the electronic and optical properties. The diffuse reflectance spectra of Fe-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets exhibit red shift and increased absorption in the visible light range, which is highly beneficial for absorbing the visible light in the solar spectrum. More significantly, the Fe-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets exhibit greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B under sunlight irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of 2 mol% Fe-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets is almost 7 times higher than that of bulk g-C3N4 and 4.5 times higher than that of pure g-C3N4 nanosheets. A proposed mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of Fe-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets was investigated by trapping experiments. The synthesized photocatalysts are highly stable even after five successive experimental runs. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of Fe-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets is due to high visible light response, large surface area, high charge separation and charge transfer. Therefore, the Fe-doped g-C3N4 photocatalyst is a promising candidate for energy conversion and environmental remediation.

A facile and versatile method for preparation of colored TiO2 with enhanced solar-driven photocatalytic activity.

Abstract: Colored TiO2 has attracted enormous attention due to its visible light absorption and excellent photocatalytic activity. In this report, we develop a simple and facile solid-state chemical reduction approach for a large-scale production of colored TiO2 at mild temperature (300–350 °C). The obtained sample possesses a crystalline core/amorphous shell structure (TiO2@TiO2−x). The oxygen vacancy results in the formation of a disordered TiO2−x shell on the surface of TiO2 nanocrystals. XPS and theoretical calculation results indicate that valence band tail and vacancy band below the conduction band minimum appear for the TiO2−x, which implies that the TiO2@TiO2−x nanocrystal has a narrow band gap and therefore leads to a broad visible light absorption. Oxygen vacancy in a proper concentration promotes the charge separation of photogenerated carriers, which improves the photocatalytic activity of TiO2@TiO2−x nanocrystals. This facile and general method could be potentially used for large scale production of colored TiO2 with remarkable enhancement in the visible light absorption and solar-driven H2 production.

Femtosecond pulse erbium-doped fiber laser by a few-layer MoS 2 saturable absorber

Abstract: We report on the generation of a femtosecond pulse in a fiber ring laser by using a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) saturable absorber (SA). With a saturable optical intensity of 34 MW/cm2 and a modulation depth of ∼4.3%, the PVA-based MoS2 SA had been employed with an erbium-doped fiber ring laser as a mode locker. The mode-locking operation could be achieved at a low pump threshold of 22 mW. A ∼710 fs pulse centered at 1569.5 nm wavelength with a repetition rate of 12.09 MHz had been achieved with proper cavity dispersion. With the variation of net cavity dispersion, output pulses with durations from 0.71 to 1.46 ps were obtained. The achievement of a femtosecond pulse at 1.55 μm waveband demonstrates the broadband saturable absorption of MoS2, and also indicates that the filmy PVA-based MoS2 SA is indeed a good candidate for an ultrafast saturable absorption device.

High efficiency photocatalysis for pollutant degradation with MoS2/C3N4 heterostructures.

Abstract: Porous graphitic carbon nitride was synthesized by controllable thermal polymerization of urea in air. Their textural, electrical, and optical properties were tuned by varying the heating rate. The presence of proper residual oxygen in carbon nitride matrix had enhanced light absorption and inhibited the recombination of charge carriers. Furthermore, the MoS2 nanosheets were coupled into the carbon nitride to form MoS2/C3N4 heterostructures via a facile ultrasonic chemical method. The optimized MoS2/C3N4 heterostructure with 0.05 wt % MoS2 showed a reaction rate constant as high as 0.301 min–1, which was 3.6 times that of bare carbon nitride. As analyzed by SEM, TEM, UV–vis absorption, PL and photoelectrochemical measurements, intimate contact interface, extended light response range, enhanced separation speed of charge carriers, and high photocurrent density upon MoS2 coupling led to the photocatalytic promotion of the MoS2/C3N4 heterostructures. In this architecture, MoS2 served as electron trapper to e...

In-situ reduction synthesis of nano-sized Cu2O particles modifying g-C3N4 for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production

Abstract: Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs) were directly formed on g-C3N4 via a one-pot in-situ reduction method. The physical and photophysical properties of these Cu2O NPs modified g-C3N4 photocatalysts were characterized to investigate the effects of Cu2O NPs on the photocatalytic activities of g-C3N4. Close contact was formed between Cu2O and g-C3N4 and the Cu2O NPs were well dispersed on g-C3N4. The visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production activity over g-C3N4 was enhanced by more than 70% with Cu2O NPs modification. It is revealed that the efficient visible light absorption and Type II band alignment induced charge separation by Cu2O NPs modification should be the key factors for improved photocatalytic performance.

Broadband ultrafast nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction of layered molybdenum dichalcogenide semiconductors

Abstract: A series of layered molybdenum dichalcogenides, i.e., MoX2 (X = S, Se and Te), were prepared in cyclohexyl pyrrolidinone by a liquid-phase exfoliation technique. The high quality of the two-dimensional nanostructures was verified by transmission electron microscopy and absorption spectroscopy. Open- and closed-aperture Z-scans were employed to study the nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction of the MoX2 dispersions, respectively. All the three-layered nanostructures exhibit prominent ultrafast saturable absorption (SA) for both femtosecond (fs) and picosecond (ps) laser pulses over a broad wavelength range from the visible to the near infrared. While the dispersions treated with low-speed centrifugation (1500 rpm) have an SA response, and the MoS2 and MoSe2 dispersions after higher speed centrifugation (10 000 rpm) possess two-photon absorption for fs pulses at 1030 nm, which is due to the significant reduction of the average thickness of the nanosheets; hence, the broadening of band gap. In addition, all dispersions show obvious nonlinear self-defocusing for ps pulses at both 1064 nm and 532 nm, resulting from the thermally-induced nonlinear refractive index. The versatile ultrafast nonlinear properties imply a huge potential of the layered MoX2 semiconductors in the development of nanophotonic devices, such as mode-lockers, optical limiters, optical switches, etc.

Confocal absorption spectral imaging of MoS2: optical transitions depending on the atomic thickness of intrinsic and chemically doped MoS2

Abstract: We performed a nanoscale confocal absorption spectral imaging to obtain the full absorption spectra (over the range 1.5-3.2 eV) within regions having different numbers of layers and studied the variation of optical transition depending on the atomic thickness of the MoS2 film. Three distinct absorption bands corresponding to A and B excitons and a high-energy background (BG) peak at 2.84 eV displayed a gradual redshift as the MoS2 film thickness increased from the monolayer, to the bilayer, to the bulk MoS2 and this shift was attributed to the reduction of the gap energy in the Brillouin zone at the K-point as the atomic thickness increased. We also performed n-type chemical doping of MoS2 films using reduced benzyl viologen (BV) and the confocal absorption spectra modified by the doping showed a strong dependence on the atomic thickness: A and B exciton peaks were greatly quenched in the monolayer MoS2 while much less effect was shown in larger thickness and the BG peak either showed very small quenching for 1 L MoS2 or remained constant for larger thicknesses. Our results indicate that confocal absorption spectral imaging can provide comprehensive information on optical transitions of microscopic size intrinsic and doped two-dimensional layered materials.

Tunable Q-switched fiber laser based on saturable edge-state absorption in few-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂).

Abstract: We fabricate a few-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) polymer composite saturable absorber by liquid-phase exfoliation, and use this to passively Q-switch an ytterbium-doped fiber laser, tunable from 1030 to 1070 nm. Self-starting Q-switching generates 2.88 μs pulses at 74 kHz repetition rate, with over 100 nJ pulse energy. We propose a mechanism, based on edge states within the bandgap, responsible for the wideband nonlinear optical absorption exhibited by our few-layer MoS₂ sample, despite operating at photon energies lower than the material bandgap.

Exciton-exciton annihilation in MoSe2 monolayers

Abstract: We investigate the excitonic dynamics in MoSe${}_{2}$ monolayer and bulk samples by femtosecond transient absorption. Excitons are resonantly injected by a 750-nm and 100-fs laser pulse, and are detected by measuring a differential reflection of a probe pulse tuned in the range 790--820 nm. We observe a strong density-dependent initial decay of the exciton population in monolayers, which can be well described by the exciton-exciton annihilation. Such a feature is not observed in a bulk sample under comparable conditions. We also observe the saturated absorption induced by excitons in both monolayers and the bulk in the differential reflection measurements, which indicates their potential applications as saturable absorbers.

Controllable synthesis of porous Fe3O4@ZnO sphere decorated graphene for extraordinary electromagnetic wave absorption

Abstract: For the first time, mesoporous Fe3O4@ZnO sphere decorated graphene (GN–pFe3O4@ZnO) composites with uniform size, considerable porosity, high magnetization and extraordinary electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption properties were synthesized by a simple and efficient three-step method. Structure and morphology details were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution electron microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Electron microscopy images reveal that pFe3O4@ZnO spheres with obvious porous and core–shell structures are uniformly coated on both sides of the GN sheets without significant numbers of vacancies or apparent aggregation. EM wave absorption properties of epoxy containing 30 wt% GN–pFe3O4@ZnO were investigated at room temperature in the frequency region of 0.2–18 GHz. The absorption bandwidth with reflection loss (RL) values less than −10 dB is up to 11.4 GHz, and the minimal RL is almost −40 dB. The intrinsic physical and chemical properties of the materials, the synergy of Fe3O4 and ZnO, and particularly the unique multi-interfaces are fundamental to the enhancement of EM absorption properties. The as-prepared GN–pFe3O4@ZnO composites are shown to be lightweight, have strong absorption, and broad frequency bandwidth EM absorbers.

Two dimensional conjugated polymers with enhanced optical absorption and charge separation for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Abstract: To counteract the unwanted quantum confinement effect and less efficient electron screening in low dimensional carbon nitride, fusion of aromatic motifs into conjugated carbon nitride nanosheets has been developed. This results in a red-shift of the optical absorption and an improved charge separation in the polymer semiconductor, establishing a quantum efficiency of 8.8% at 420 nm for H2 generation.

High spectral resolution ozone absorption cross-sections - Part 2: Temperature dependence

Abstract: . We report on the temperature dependence of ozone absorption cross-sections measured in our laboratory in the broad spectral range 213–1100 nm with a spectral resolution of 0.02–0.24 nm (full width at half maximum, FWHM) in the atmospherically relevant temperature range from 193 K to 293 K. The temperature dependence of ozone absorption cross-sections was established using measurements at eleven temperatures. This investigation is superior in terms of spectral range and number of considered temperatures compared to the previous studies. The methodology of the absolute broadband measurements, experimental procedures and spectra processing were described in our companion paper together with the associated uncertainty budget. In this paper, we report in detail on our data below room temperature and compare them with literature data using direct comparisons as well as the standard approach using a quadratic polynomial in temperature fitted to the cross-section data.

Thermal Evaporation and Characterization of Sb2Se3 Thin Film for Substrate Sb2Se3/CdS Solar Cells

Abstract: Sb2Se3 is a promising absorber material for photovoltaic cells because of its optimum band gap, strong optical absorption, simple phase and composition, and earth-abundant and nontoxic constituents. However, this material is rarely explored for photovoltaic application. Here we report Sb2Se3 solar cells fabricated from thermal evaporation. The rationale to choose thermal evaporation for Sb2Se3 film deposition was first discussed, followed by detailed characterization of Sb2Se3 film deposited onto FTO with different substrate temperatures. We then studied the optical absorption, photosensitivity, and band position of Sb2Se3 film, and finally a prototype photovoltaic device FTO/Sb2Se3/CdS/ZnO/ZnO:Al/Au was constructed, achieving an encouraging 2.1% solar conversion efficiency.

Near-band-edge optical responses of solution-processed organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 on mesoporous TiO2 electrodes

Abstract: We studied the near-band-edge optical responses of solution-processed CH3NH3PbI3 on mesoporous TiO2 electrodes, which is utilized in mesoscopic heterojunction solar cells. Photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation spectra peaks appear at 1.60 and 1.64 eV, respectively. The transient absorption spectrum shows a negative peak at 1.61 eV owing to photobleaching at the band-gap energy, indicating a direct band-gap semiconductor. On the basis of the temperature-dependent PL and diffuse reflectance spectra, we clarified that the absorption tail at room temperature is explained in terms of an Urbach tail and consistently determined the band-gap energy to be ~1.61 eV at room temperature.

CuSbS2 as a promising earth-abundant photovoltaic absorber material: A combined theoretical and experimental study

Abstract: Recently, CuSbS2 has been proposed as an alternative earth-abundant absorber material for thin film solar cells. However, no systematic study on the chemical, optical, and electrical properties of CuSbS2 has been reported. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we showed that CuSbS2 has superior defect physics with extremely low concentration of recombination-center defects within the forbidden gap, espeically under the S rich condition. It has intrinsically p-type conductivity, which is determined by the dominant Cu vacancy (VCu) defects with the a shallow ionization level and the lowest formation energy. Using a hydrazine based solution process, phase-pure, highly crystalline CuSbS2 film with large grain size was successfully obtained. Optical absorption investigation revealed that our CuSbS2 has a direct band gap of 1.4 eV. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) study showed that the conduction band and valence band are located at 3.85 eV and −5.25 eV relative to the vacuum level, re...

Triplet–triplet annihilation photon-upconversion: towards solar energy applications

Abstract: Solar power production and solar energy storage are important research areas for development of technologies that can facilitate a transition to a future society independent of fossil fuel based energy sources. Devices for direct conversion of solar photons suffer from poor efficiencies due to spectrum losses, which are caused by energy mismatch between the optical absorption of the devices and the broadband irradiation provided by the sun. In this context, photon-upconversion technologies are becoming increasingly interesting since they might offer an efficient way of converting low energy solar energy photons into higher energy photons, ideal for solar power production and solar energy storage. This perspective discusses recent progress in triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) photon-upconversion systems and devices for solar energy applications. Furthermore, challenges with evaluation of the efficiency of TTA-photon-upconversion systems are discussed and a general approach for evaluation and comparison of existing systems is suggested.

Core-shell heterojunction of silicon nanowire arrays and carbon quantum dots for photovoltaic devices and self-driven photodetectors.

Abstract: Silicon nanostructure-based solar cells have lately intrigued intensive interest because of their promising potential in next-generation solar energy conversion devices. Herein, we report a silicon nanowire (SiNW) array/carbon quantum dot (CQD) core–shell heterojunction photovoltaic device by directly coating Ag-assisted chemical-etched SiNW arrays with CQDs. The heterojunction with a barrier height of 0.75 eV exhibited excellent rectifying behavior with a rectification ratio of 103 at ±0.8 V in the dark and power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as 9.10% under AM 1.5G irradiation. It is believed that such a high PCE comes from the improved optical absorption as well as the optimized carrier transfer and collection capability. Furthermore, the heterojunction could function as a high-performance self-driven visible light photodetector operating in a wide switching wavelength with good stability, high sensitivity, and fast response speed. It is expected that the present SiNW array/CQD core–shell heteroju...

Highly Asymmetric Phthalocyanine as a Sensitizer of Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Extremely Efficient Photocatalytic H2 Production under Near-Infrared Light

Abstract: Highly asymmetric zinc phthalocyanine derivative (Zn-tri-PcNc) with intense near-IR light (650–800 nm) absorption is utilized as a sensitizer to extend the spectral response region of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) from ∼450 nm to more than 800 nm. Ultraviolet–visible light (UV-vis) diffuse reflectance absorption spectra (DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectra, time-resolved photoluminescence spectra (TRPS), and energy band structure analyses are adopted to investigate the photogenerated electron transfer process between Zn-tri-PcNc and g-C3N4 on both thermodynamics and dynamics aspects. After optimizing the photocatalytic condition and adding chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) as coadsorbent, Zn-tri-PcNc sensitized g-C3N4 photocatalyst shows a H2 production efficiency of 125.2 μmol h–1 under visible/near-IR-light (λ ≥ 500 nm) irradiation, corresponding to a turnover number (TON) of 5008 h–1 with an extremely high apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 1.85% at 700 nm monochromatic light irradiation. The present work...

Realization of dynamic thermal emission control

Abstract: Thermal emission in the infrared range is important in various fields of research, including chemistry, medicine and atmospheric science. Recently, the possibility of controlling thermal emission based on wavelength-scale optical structures has been intensively investigated with a view towards a new generation of thermal emission devices. However, all demonstrations so far have involved the 'static' control of thermal emission; high-speed modulation of thermal emission has proved difficult to achieve because the intensity of thermal emission from an object is usually determined by its temperature, and the frequency of temperature modulation is limited to 10-100 Hz even when the thermal mass of the object is small. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the dynamic control of thermal emission via the control of emissivity (absorptivity), at a speed four orders of magnitude faster than is possible using the conventional temperature-modulation method. Our approach is based on the dynamic control of intersubband absorption in n-type quantum wells, which is enhanced by an optical resonant mode in a photonic crystal slab. The extraction of electrical carriers from the quantum wells leads to an immediate change in emissivity from 0.74 to 0.24 at the resonant wavelength while maintaining much lower emissivity at all other wavelengths.