Highly directional radiation generated by a tungsten thermal source.
We report the design of a tungsten thermal source with extraordinarily high directivity in the near infrared, comparable to the directivity of a CO2 laser. This high directivity is the signature of the long-range correlation of the electromagnetic field in the source plane. This phenomenon is due to the resonant thermal excitation of surface-plasmon polaritons.
Laroche
M
M
Laboratoire d'Energétique Moléculaire et Macroscopique, Combustion, Ecole Centrale Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 92295 Châtenay-Malabry Cedex, France. marine.laroche@em2c.ecp.fr
Arnold
C
C
Marquier
F
F
Carminati
R
R
Greffet
J J
JJ
Collin
S
S
Bardou
N
N
Pelouard
J L
JL