Laser-Based Lighting — Bright, Efficient Alternative To LEDs Developed

October 3rd, 2013 by James Ayre

A promising, possible alternative to LED lighting has just emerged, thanks to research from the University of California–Santa Barbara. Bright, energy-efficient, high-power white light — just like LEDs provide — but in this case created via the utilization of a laser diode in combination with inorganic phosphors.

LEDs have a number of significant advantages over conventional lighting technologies, as well possessing a number of distinct uses, but the technology hasn’t fully matured yet and still has some hurdles to overcome (though, some of these, such as LED efficiency “droop,” may be close to being addressed). So there is certainly still space for viable competing technologies, as this new technology looks to be.

Photograph of bright white light (right) achieved using lasers in combination with phosphors next to an image of the phosphor with no illumination.
Image Credit: K.Denault/UCSB

The new laser-based lighting technology is extremely efficient, low-heat, produces high-power white light (via a different excitation source than LEDs), and performs well across a number of different performance metrics important to lighting sources, according to the researchers from UC Santa Barbara.

“We found two ways to create high-intensity ‘cool’ white light,” states Kristin A. Denault, one of the two lead researchers. “In one we used a blue laser diode and yellow-emitting phosphor powder with a luminous flux of 252 lumens, which is comparable to current high-brightness white LEDs. For our second method, we used a near-ultra-violet laser diode and a combination of red-, green-, and blue-emitting phosphors.”

“[We] also achieved a variety of other color temperatures with high color rendition, broadening the range of applications for these new lights.”

The new research was just published in the journal AIP Advances.

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Tags: Energy efficient lighting research, Laser based lighting, laser diode inorganic phosphorus, laser lighting LED alternative, UCSB, University of California - Santa Barbara

About the Author

James Ayre 's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy. You can follow his work on Google+.

David Shiller

Droop refers to reduced efficiency as current is increased through the LED. It does not refer to lumen depreciation, which is a reduced light output over time.
Greg

So is it MORE efficient than LEDs? That’s all that matters.
Ivor O’Connor

I wonder if LEDs currently rated for say 50,000 hours take into account the “droop”. I have a cynical suspicion 50,000 hours is for when it quits working altogether. I’m thinking LEDs need to be clearly labeled as “X hours till droop, Y hours after droop.”
- Omega Centauri
  
  All lighting sources have droop. Florescents, and incandescents droop as well. The later largely because tungsten is gradually deposited on the glass covering. So the output level of an LED drops by a fraction of a percent per year.
  - Ivor O’Connor
    
    Did not know that. From all the talk I had the impression droop in LEDs were dramatic and something only experienced with LEDs.
    
    Never made it to walmart today. Hopefully I’ll pick one up tomorrow morning.
  - Ivor O’Connor
    
    Do you have any references to this? Because when I search for incandescent droop all I seem to get are the pages and pages of information related to LED droop…
    - http://www.facebook.com/cees.timmerman Cees Timmerman
      
      It’s termed “lumen depreciation”. Here’s some nice graphs comparing different tech: http://www.gilus.us/energy%20charts.html
      
      It looks like LED is second best to induction at keeping up appearances.
      - Ivor O’Connor
        
        Thanks Cees.
        
        I have no idea what induction is so I’ll keep my eyes open for it. Interesting website.