Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded for Invention of New Light Source

(external-resource, 7 Oct 2014) Three Japanese-born scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the blue light-emitting diode, which made possible a highly efficient light source that is increasingly replacing incandescent bulbs.

The prize was jointly awarded to Isamu Akasaki of Meijo University and Nagoya University, Hiroshi Amano of Nagoya University, and Shuji Nakamura, who is now a U.S. citizen and a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The trio did the research that led to the prize at Japanese labs.

The award marks a significant transformation in lighting technology. As the 20th century was lighted by incandescent bulbs, the next hundred years is likely to be dominated by LED lamps—already found in mobile phones, computer screens, televisions and cameras.

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external-resource, 7 Oct 2014: Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded for Invention of New Light Source