A team of MIT researchers has used a novel material that’s just a few atoms thick to create devices that can harness or emit light. This proof-of-concept could lead to ultra-thin, lightweight, and flexible photovoltaic cells, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and other optoelectronic...

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have suggested a method that could significantly increase the efficiency of green-blue-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes based on GaInN/GaN, AlGaN/GaN, and AlInN/GaN quantum wells. Their approach could enable advances...

Most modern electronics, from flat-screen TVs and smartphones to wearable technologies and computer monitors, use tiny light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. These LEDs are based on semiconductors that emit light with the movement of electrons. As devices get smaller and...

Researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF have found a way to make LED lamps even more compact while supplying more light than commercially available models. The key to success is transistors made of the semiconductor material gallium...

University of California, San Diego electrical engineering professor Zhaowei Liu and colleagues have taken the first steps in a project to develop fast-blinking LED systems for underwater optical communications. Earlier this year, Liu and his colleagues showed that an artificial...

Researchers from the universities of Bonn and Regensburg have developed a novel type of organic light-emitting diode (OLED). These lights are suitable for the design of particularly energy-efficient cheap displays, which find applications in smart phones, tablet PCs or TVs. Applications in lighting...

ERNI (Richmond, VA) has developed a compact and economical wire-to-board interconnect solution with high current density in a small, 2.0mm pitch form factor. The iBridge™ single-row cable connector system delivers up to 5A per contact at 20 °C when paired with an appropriate discrete wire. The male iBridge connectors...

Visual Communications Company (VCC) (Poway, CA) has introduced based LEDs designed to serve as drop-in replacements for outmoded T1-3/4 and T3-1/4 incandescent lamps. Available in a range of base designs, including wedge, bayonet, midget flange, and midget groove, the LEDs feature average lifespans of 100,000 hours.

International Rectifier (El Segundo, CA) has introduced a control IC for magnetic ballasts used in fluorescent lamps. Available in a compact SO8 package, the IRS2538DS integrates a 600V half-bridge control circuit, bootstrap MOSFET, and protection features. The IRS2538DS also includes pre-heat, ignition, and running lamp...

Everlight Electronics Co. Ltd. (Taipei, Taiwan) has expanded its high performance JU series of chip-on-board (COB) LEDs to include 7, 10 and 15 W types in addition to the existing 4W version. The JU series now consists of four JU1215 (15×12×1.6mm) and one JU2024 (20×24×1.6mm) type/s with powers ranging from 4 watts...

SL Power Electronics (Ventura, CA) has introduced its new LE Series of LED drivers. Available in 10 models from 75 to 300 watts, the constant current LED drivers enable highly efficient LED lighting for applications that require more than eight hours per day of operating life. Featuring a wide input voltage range of 90 to 305 VAC, up...

The EPL-FL1524-LED-120X12- C1D2-50 hazardous area LED work light from Larson Electronics (Kemp, TX) provides operators with a far more durable and reliable high performance alternative to standard incandescent and fluorescent work lights. This LED drop light is designed similarly to a standard fluorescent drop light,...

An Iowa State research team led by Reza Montazami is developing "transient materials" and "transient electronics" that can quickly and completely melt away when a trigger is activated. The development could mean that one day you might be able to send out a signal to destroy a lost credit card.

To...

Crystals form the basis for the penetrating icy blue glare of car headlights and now they could be fundamental to the future in solar energy technology? Crystals are at the heart of diodes. Not the kind you might find in quartz, formed naturally, but...

By inserting platinum atoms into an organic semiconductor, University of Utah physicists were able to “tune” the plastic-like polymer to emit light of different colors – a step toward more efficient, less expensive and truly white organic LEDs for light bulbs of the future.

The newly-renovated Church of the Covenant in Cleveland, Ohio, has a large, ornate rose stained-glass window that faces the Seidman Cancer Center at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center across Euclid Avenue. In a joint partnership project between the church and hospital entitled, “Hands Across...

Global Lighting Technologies, a manufacturer of LED-based, edge-lit light guide solutions for general illumination applications, recently retrofitted its North American sales & engineering headquarters with LED ceiling lights.

The story behind LED development—only the 4th lighting technology developed in human history— is remarkable. The potential ahead of LED lighting to deliver real and measurable advantages— to save energy, last years longer, significantly lower bottom-line costs—is limitless. That said the LED...

Technical Challenges

Several technical challenges exist when manufacturing solid state lighting (SSL) modules and components. The greatest challenge is in keeping up with the changes in LED technology. LED components, such as LED packages and chips, are improving in lumen output, luminous...

Using thousands of nanometer-scale wires, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a sensor device that converts mechanical pressure – from a signature or a fingerprint – directly into light signals that can be captured and processed optically. The sensor...

Commercial uses for ultraviolet (UV) light are growing, and now a new kind of LED under development at The Ohio State University could lead to more portable and low-cost uses of the technology. The patent-pending LED creates a more precise wavelength of UV light than today’s...

Crash risks while driving at night are higher than during the daytime, but most roadways in the U.S. do not have roadway lighting. In fact, many state and local governments find it difficult to pay for installing, operating and maintaining roadway lighting. Despite these concerns,...

Researchers in Japan have developed a new type of photodiode that can detect in just milliseconds a certain type of high-energy ultraviolet light, called UVC, which is powerful enough to break the bonds of DNA and harm living creatures. Although this radiation doesn't normally reach...

Tiny silicon crystals caused no health problems in monkeys three months after large doses were injected, marking a step forward in the quest to bring such materials into clinics as biomedical imaging agents, according to a recent study. The findings suggest that the silicon nanocrystals,...

Green Tech Energy Services, working in conjunction with its client, the Allentown Parking Authority, needed lighting fixtures in a multi-level parking garage in Allentown, Pennsylvania. They were looking for fixtures that offered a great appearance, price and quantity. Additionally, they...

Aboard a state-of-the-art aircraft might be the last place you would think of yourself enjoying a warm “candlelit” dinner, followed by a good night’s sleep under a starry night sky. The truth is, the latest aircraft cabins seek to provide just that – a revolutionary in-flight experience...

When it comes to highpower lighting applications in the military and harsh industrial environments, reliability and efficiency are key features to consider. To maximize both of these qualities, lightemitting diode (LED) technology is coming into play with brighter, more flexible lighting...

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 and its subsequent amendments established minimum efficiency standards for lighting products. While the DOE’s mandatory energy efficiency standards and recently-heightened surveillance efforts are designed to...

Phihong USA (Fremont, CA) recently introduced a new series of waterproof LED drivers for use in a broad range of residential and commercial applications. Designated the PDA040 series, the LED power supplies are available in constant-current outputs of 700, 1050 and 1400mA at a nominal input voltage rating of 120-277...