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Green light for ultra-fine display colors

Scientists have made a breakthrough in producing ultra-pure green light for high-resolution displays, exceeding 97-99% of the Rec.2020 standard. The new technology uses simple room-temperature processes and inexpensive materials, paving the way for low-cost industrial production.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNano Letters·DateSep 6, 2017

Achieving near-perfect optical isolation using opto-mechanical transparency

Optical isolators are crucial for signal routing and protection in photonic circuits. Researchers demonstrated complete optical isolation within any dielectric waveguide using a simple approach without magnets or magnetic materials. The technique achieves ideal characteristics such as zero loss and perfect absorption, expanding on-chip...

Light has new capacity for electronics

Scientists have discovered a new phenomenon called the photodielectric effect, which could lead to the creation of laser-controlled touch displays. The discovery uses light to increase the dielectric permittivity of a material, allowing for more efficient energy storage and filtering.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateApr 27, 2017

A faster single-pixel camera

Researchers at MIT Media Lab describe a new technique that makes image acquisition using compressed sensing 50 times as efficient. The technique enables the development of novel imaging systems without lenses, opening new prospects for design and applications in harsh environments or non-visible spectrum wavelengths.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalIEEE Transactions on Computational Imaging·DateMar 29, 2017

Materials that emit rainbows

Researchers at Osaka University create tri-color changing materials that exhibit efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence and enable the production of high-performance OLEDs devices. The materials display a range of colors in response to temperature and pressure, showing promise for applications such as pressure- and temperat...

SourceOsaka University·JournalChemical Science·DateFeb 27, 2017

Surprising spin behavior at room temperature

Scientists successfully demonstrate circularly polarized electroluminescence from spin-polarized LEDs at room temperature, without external magnetic fields. The discovery opens up new avenues for spintronics and potential applications in secure optical communications, cancer diagnosis, and optically enhanced nuclei imaging.

SourceTokyo Institute of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 7, 2017

LED lighting could have major impact on wildlife

New research suggests that LED street lighting can have a major impact on wildlife, but that adjusting the lighting schedule and dimming it by 50% can reduce its effects. The study found that changing the way we light at night could have profound consequences for species such as predatory spiders and beetles.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalGlobal Change Biology·DateFeb 6, 2017

Discovery: A new form of light

A team of scientists from the University of Vermont and Dartmouth College have discovered a new way that some molecules can make a luminescent glow, breaking Kasha's Rule. The newly discovered pathway to creating light may prove useful in industrial materials, LEDs, and biomedical imaging.

SourceUniversity of Vermont·JournalNature Chemistry·DateOct 5, 2016

Want to hit your target? Good luck, short stuff

A study by Ohio State University researchers found that taller individuals have a natural advantage when it comes to spatial relations and judging the location of targets in their middle-distance vision. This ability is particularly important in situations with limited visual cues, such as darkness or obstacles.

SourceOhio State University·JournalScience Advances·DateAug 31, 2016

Let there be light

University of Utah researchers have developed a theory that adding light during the manufacturing process can reduce defects in semiconductors, leading to more efficient solar cells and brighter LED bulbs. This breakthrough could unlock the potential of materials previously deemed unusable, such as cadmium telluride and gallium nitride.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalScientific Reports·DateJun 16, 2016

Consumers sour on milk exposed to LED light

Exposure to LED light for just four hours can make milk taste like cardboard, while older milk remains at high quality for two weeks when shielded from LED exposure. Consumers overwhelmingly prefer older, fresh-looking milk over newer, LED-exposed milk.

SourceCornell University·JournalJournal of Dairy Science·DateJun 9, 2016

Electric eels make leaping attacks

Under certain conditions, electric eels attack by raising up out of the water and delivering a series of powerful electrical shocks, effectively deterring predators. This behavior is believed to provide the eels with an evolutionary advantage in defending their territory.

SourceVanderbilt University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 6, 2016

LED treatments enhance lettuce phytochemicals, antioxidants

Continuous LED light significantly decreases nitrate content in preharvest lettuce, increasing nutrient contents. Researchers found that RB LED light was more effective than white LED light in facilitating lettuce growth, leading to enhanced free-radical scavenging activity and increased phenolic compound concentrations.

SourceAmerican Society for Horticultural Science·JournalJournal of the American Society for Horticultural Science·DateMay 10, 2016

Biofeedback system designed to control photosynthetic lighting

A biofeedback system has been developed to control photosynthetic lighting in controlled environment agriculture, allowing for efficient use of light by plants. The system successfully adjusted light levels based on the physiological performance of plants, achieving a wide range of energy conversion rates and reducing energy costs.

SourceAmerican Society for Horticultural Science·JournalJournal of the American Society for Horticultural Science·DateMay 9, 2016

From lighting screens to lighting homes

Researchers at Kyung Hee University propose a model to recycle lithium ion batteries into energy storage units for solar-powered LED lamps, reducing e-waste and providing job opportunities. The system can light up a room for about five hours each day, lasting approximately three years without maintenance.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalJournal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy·DateApr 19, 2016