2014 Nobel Prize for Physics Awarded to Scientists Who Invented the Blue LED

The 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics has officially been awarded to Isamu Akasaki of Meijo University in Japan and to Hiroshi Amano of Nagoya University in Japan and to Shuji Nakamura of the University of California. Together, the scientists invented an efficient blue light-emitting diode, which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources.

Essentially, the researchers created a new energy-efficient and environment-friendly light sources, the blue light-emitted diode (LED). In fact, using blue LEDs can create white light in a new way; it's longer-lasting and more efficient when compared to other light sources.

The researchers first created bright blue light beams from their semi-conductors in the early 1990s. At the time, they triggered a fundamental transformation of lighting technology. While red and green diodes have been around for a long time, blue light had not been; and without blue light, white lamps couldn't be created.

The scientists succeeded where everyone else failed. They helped create white LED lamps that emit a bright, white light. These lamps, spurred by the creation of blue LED, are constantly being improved and are becoming more efficient with higher luminous flux.

The LED lamp holds huge promise when it comes increasing the quality of life for those who lack access to electricity grids. LED lamps require less power, which means that they can be powered by cheap and local solar power. While the invention of the blue LED is just twenty years old, it has already contributed to create white light in an entirely new manner to benefit all.