The Nobel Prize in Physics of 2014 was jointly awarded to Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura for the invention of Blue LEDs in 1990s. How has this invention impacted the everyday life of human beings?. UPSC IAS Mains 2021 General Studies (Paper – 3)
LEDs are basically semiconductors that have been built so they emit light when they are activated. White light, which we generally use, is made by a combination of red, green and blue light. Scientists say that while it was easier to make red and green LEDs, making Blue LED was the ultimate challenge. The Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 was awarded jointly to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources.
Impact of this invention on our everyday life:
- Electricity Conservation: A modern white LED light bulb converts more than 50% of the electricity it uses into light. This is opposed to the 4% conversion rate for incandescent bulbs.
- Increasing Access to Electricity: White LEDs’ efficiency makes them appealing for getting lighting to folks living in regions without electricity supply. A solar installation can charge an LED lamp to last a long time.
- Smart Energy Efficient Homes: In addition to generating light, LEDs can incorporate sensors that detect when people are in a room, and switch off the lights when no one is there – a requirement for any smart home.
- Enables other Technological Advancements: In the electronics industry, LEDs provide backlighting for the liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in many smartphones, laptops and televisions. The LEDs are more energy-efficient than the fluorescent lights that are sometimes used for backlighting, and allow for very thin displays.
- Increased Ability to Store Data: Blu-ray players, the successor to DVD players, use blue LED lasers to read data off a digital optical disc. When these systems switched from using an infrared laser (like that used in DVD players) to a blue LED laser, it became possible to store five to 10 times as much data.
Researchers are exploring other applications of LEDs as well like in transmitting data from the Internet and water purification. These advancements show that LEDs will continue to impact everyday life of humans for years to come.
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