Optics Express papers detail new bio-inspired coating that
increases LED efficiency by 55 percent
The nighttime twinkling of fireflies has inspired scientists
to modify a light-emitting diode (LED) so it is more than one and a half times
as efficient as the original. Researchers from Belgium, France, and Canada
studied the internal structure of firefly lanterns, the organs on the
bioluminescent insects’ abdomens that flash to attract mates. The scientists
identified an unexpected pattern of jagged scales that enhanced the lanterns’
glow, and applied that knowledge to LED design to create an LED overlayer that
mimicked the natural structure. The overlayer, which increased LED light
extraction by up to 55 percent, could be easily tailored to existing diode
designs to help humans light up the night while using less energy. The work is
published in a pair of papers today in the Optical Society’s (OSA) open-access
journal Optics Express.