We've Finally Figured Out What Makes LED Bulbs So Inefficient
An LED Mystery Researchers measured the energy spectrum of electrons emitted by an LED and found that the signature of energetic electrons matched those produced by the Auger process. École Polytechnique, Ph. LavialleNow maybe LED lighting will take off in more than just traffic lights and gadgets. LEDs should be lighting the way to a greener future: They use 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent light bulbs, and they do so at a cooler temperature. But right now, we mostly use LEDs in electronics, because they have a bit of a drooping problem: at higher currents, the amount of light they produce takes a nose-dive. The efficiency droop has baffled scientists for years, but researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara and France's École Polytechnique say they've finally solved the mystery. Their work, published in a forthcoming issue of the Physical Review Letters, identifies...