Wake Forest University professor David Carroll (right) works with student Greg Smith. Credit: Ken Bennett, Wake Forest University photographer
A US academic has announced the creation of a flicker-free, shatterproof, alternative light source for large-scale lighting applications.
The light source, created by Dr David Carroll at Wake Forest University, is based on Field-Induced Polymer Electroluminescent Technology (FIPEL) and emits a soft white light, according to the professor.
He says the light source is made from three layers of moldable, white-emitting polymer blended with nanomaterials that glow when stimulated to create bright, natural "white light similar to the sunlight human eyes prefer".
Dr Carroll, a director of the university's Centre for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials, said: "This new lighting solution is at least twice as efficient as compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs and on par with LEDs."
The light can be made in any colour and any shape – from 8 foot square sheets to replace office lighting to a light source to fit household lamps and light fixtures. The professor claims he has a FIPEL light source which has lasted for 10 years.
Dr Carroll is currently working with a company to manufacture the FIPEL technology and plans to have it ready for consumers as early as 2013. Carroll's research on the technology is described in the scientific journal Organic Electronics
