Photonic crystals for lighting applications

Summary form only given. Solid state lighting is developing rapidly, offering great promise in applications from displays to genereal lighting. Both in organic and inorganic LEDs are pursued, for ever increasing brightness and efficiency. A crucial aspect of the efficient operation of these devices is the extraction of the light from the emissive layer. After a brief overview of more conventional approaches, we discuss the influence of photonic crystal structures on the emission, and their potential for improving efficiency and beam shaping. We conclude with some developments for the more distant future, such as full three-dimensional photonic crystals and non-periodic structures.