Angular distribution of the luminescence emitted by a metal–barrier–metal diode

An investigation was made of the angular distribution of the luminescence emitted by a metal–barrier–metal (MBM) diode formed on a smooth substrate. The brightness of the p-polarized luminescence observed at an angle of 80° relative to the normal to the diode plane was 65 times higher than the intensity along the normal, whereas the s-polarized luminescence was 16 times greater. Calculations indicated that in the case of an MBM diode formed on a smooth substrate such an angular distribution in the case of the p-polarized component of the luminescence originating from decay of surface plasma oscillations at the insulator–metal interface may be governed not only by the interaction of plasmons with inhomogeneities of certain size of the metal (silver) film, but can also be influenced by the ratio of the permittivities of the media.