Using time-resolved photoluminescence measurements, the recombination rate in an ${\mathrm{In}}_{0.18}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.82}\mathrm{N}/\mathrm{GaN}$ quantum well (QW) is shown to be greatly enhanced when spontaneous emission is resonantly coupled to a silver surface plasmon. The rate of enhanced spontaneous emission into the surface plasmon was as much as 92 times faster than QW spontaneous emission into free space. A calculation, based on Fermi’s golden rule, reveals that the enhancement is very sensitive to silver thickness and indicates even greater enhancements are possible for QW’s placed closer to the surface metal coating.

Using subpicosecond optical pump-probe techniques, coherent zone-folded longitudinal acoustic phonons (ZFLAPs) were investigated in an InGaN multiple quantum well structure. A two-pump differential transmission technique was used to generate and control coherent ZFLAP oscillations through the relative timing and amplitude of the two pump pulses. Enhancement and suppression of ZFLAP oscillations were demonstrated, including complete cancellation of generated acoustic phonons for the first time in any material system. Coherent control was used to demonstrate that ZFLAPs are generated differently in InGaN multiple quantum wells than in $\mathrm{GaAs}/\mathrm{AlAs}$ superlattices.

The temperature dependent behavior of continuous-wave and time-resolved photoluminescence of Eu-doped GaN in the visible region is measured for both the ${}^5{D}_0{\to }^7{F}_2$ and ${}^5{D}_0{\to }^7{F}_3$ transitions. The radiative decay of these transitions, following pulsed laser excitation of the GaN host, is monitored by a grating spectrometer and photomultiplier tube detector system. In addition to these two radiative energy transfer pathways within ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{\text{3+}},$ the data reveal two nonradiative energy transfer paths between ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{\text{3+}}$ and the host GaN. Decay constants for the relaxation processes are extracted from the data using a numerically solved rate equation model. Although the dominant radiative relaxation processes decayed with a temperature insensitive decay constant of 166 μs, a prominent role for nonradiative transfer between ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{\text{3+}}$ and impurities within the GaN host was deduced above 180 K.

Demand on optical or photonic applications in the visible or short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectra, such as vision, virtual or augmented displays, imaging, spectroscopy, remote sensing (LIDAR), chemical reaction sensing, microscopy, and photonic integrated circuits, has envisaged new type of subwavelength-featured materials and devices for controlling electromagnetic waves. The study on metasurfaces, of which the thickness is either comparable to or smaller than the wavelength of the considered incoming electromagnetic wave, has been grown rapidly to embrace the needs of developing sub 100-micron active photonic pixelated devices and their arrayed form. Meta-atoms in metasurfaces are now actively controlled under external stimuli to lead to a large phase shift upon the incident light, which has provided a huge potential for arrayed two-dimensional active optics. This short review summarizes actively tunable or reconfigurable metasurfaces for the visible or SWIR spectra, to account for the physical operating principles and the current issues to overcome.