LED is revolution in lighting: Arnab Bhattacharya

Chandigarh, November 7, 2014:  Noted Scientist and science communicator Prof Arnab Bhattacharya today said that LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) is a revolution in lighting and it is getting brighter and cheaper with the advancement of technology.

Bhattacharya was delivering the prestigious Panjab University Colloquium at the SS Bhatnagar University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology (UICET) Auditorium at Panjab University (PU), Campus Chandigarh.

Brain behind the famous `Chai and Why?, the outreach programme of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai,  Arnab Bhattacharya spoke on the topic of `Seeking N-lightenment -The bright World of Nitride Semiconductors’. PU Vice Chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover presided over the function.

Bhattacharya said that  LED based lamp can transform rural lighting. LEDs have long life of 50,000 to 100,000 hours and graceful degradation. They have defined colours, physically robust, environmentally friendly, cool and safe, he added. 

He said that 200 years of lighting has shown complex interplay between lighting, human productivity and energy consumption. Light is supposedly consumed to increase productivity and not to waste energy, he added.

Arnab Bhattacharya outlined a short history of the blue LED, highlighting the contributions of the Nobel laureates of 2014 in Physics, Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura.

He gave an overview of the challenges and the exciting possibilities thrown up by the III-N  semiconductors and illustrated that with examples, including some from epitaxial materials grown in our laboratory at TIFR.

 Arnab Bhattacharya said that the Nobel Prize for efficient blue light-emitting diodes leading to bright and energy-saving white light sources is the culmination of painstaking research over many decades into the world of nitride semiconductors.

Nitrogen-containing compound semiconductors (GaN, AlN, InN andtheir alloys) are key materials for compact, high-efficiency LED light sources for this century, he added. 

He said that apart from revolutionizing lighting, the group-III nitrides are also ideal candidates for high-power/high-temperature electronic devices. The spectacular progress in LED-based solid-state lighting is due to advances in basic materials physics and crystal growth, combined with an understanding of advanced device design and optimized light extraction techniques.

Over the years sophisticated thin film growth techniques have dramatically improved material quality, he further informed.

(SK Vyas/Jalandhar)

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