Once again we have news related to the latest and the most innovative part of lighting technology- OLED. It is no secret that I love LEDs and it seems that even before a large part of the world can actually use them in more of their daily life, they will be replaced by the ever changing and evolving OLED technology. Organic light emitting diodes technology hasn’t lived up to the hype, because in typical OLEDs, only 20 percent of the light generated is released from the device. That means that most light is trapped inside the bulb, making it highly inefficient. Stephen Forrest, a professor of electrical engineering and physics at Michigan, and Yuri Sun, from Princeton University found an answer to that.
The scientists have designed an OLED that boosts illumination by 60 percent using a combination of an organic grid working in tandem with small micro lenses that guide the trapped light out of the device. In OLEDs, white light is generated by using electricity to send an electron into nanometer-thick layers of organic materials that behave like semiconductor materials. Typically, the light in the substrate is internally reflected and runs parallel and not perpendicular. In Forrest’s devices, the grids refract the trapped light, sending it to the five micrometers dome-shaped micro lenses. The light is sent off in a vertical orientation that helps release the trapped rays.
Forrest and his coworkers report that the technology emits about 70 lumens from a watt of power. In comparison, incandescent light bulbs emit 15 lumens per watt. Fluorescent lights put out roughly 90 lumens of light per watt but have liabilities: they produce harsh light, lack longevity, and use environment-damaging substances like mercury. Considering that almost 25% of the world’s produced power caters to lighting needs, technology such as this could really help the planet save tons of power and also ease the load on power production across the planet. Another green innovation to help the planet cool down!
Via: Technologyreview
