LED Lights: The Invention That Deserved The Nobel Prize In Physics

Today, the LED lighting system is in many forms in our homes, vehicles and devices. Although it appeared decades ago, in 2014, its developers received the Nobel Prize in Physics. Next, you will know all the details of this significant event.

A Challenge Overcome

Already in the 1960s, it could be illuminated with red and green diodes. However, blue was necessary to generate LEDs with bright white light.

For three decades, various companies and scientists have tried to overcome this obstacle but failed in their attempts.

In 1993, Japanese scientists: Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura made diodes capable of emitting blue light through Gallium nitride. Since then, the combination of the 3 colours allowed efficient white led lights to exist.

Surprisingly, until 2005 this discovery generated about 500 million euros, but the inventors earned only 180 euros as compensation.

Award for the Nobel Prize in Physics

In 2014, the Royal Academy of Sciences in Sweden honoured the three inventors for the ” invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes that have enabled energy-saving white light sources ” with the Nobel Prize. Physics and a reward of 1.1 million US dollars.

During the award, experts mentioned that their discovery allowed low consumption white light, mobile screens, camera flashes and other technologies to exist today, achieving something that many considered impossible 30 years ago.

An invention that improved the modern world

Many traditional lighting types heat a material with an electrical current, generating light through temperature. On the other hand, LED lights directly convert electricity into light particles, thus saving energy.

The feat of Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura, and the invention that brought led lights into existence today, should forever be remembered as a massive contribution to humanity.