Direction-dependent spontaneous emission from near-infrared quantum dots at the angular band edges of a three-dimensional photonic crystal

Engineering spontaneous emission from light emitters embedded within three-dimensional photonic crystals is of great significance in both fundamental research of quantum optics and applications of microphotonic devices. In this letter, we report on the effective modification of spontaneous emission from near-infrared PbSe quantum dots infiltrated in a three-dimensional woodpile polymeric photonic crystal through adjusting its angle-dependent stop gaps. A significant inhibition effect as well as a pronounced enhancement of the spontaneous emission are observed in the midgap and at the center of the band edge, respectively. The observed phenomenon can be understood from the stretched exponential model on decay dynamics.