Rensselaer researchers have developed a new class of phosphors that have narrow spectral linewidths suitable for high-efficiency, white light LED fabrication for lighting and display applications. These phosphors can be efficiently excited by near UV and blue LEDs such as in 400 nm LEDs and can provide emission in green, yellow, amber and red wavelengths. Commercial phosphor-converted white LEDs lack narrow-emitting red phosphors that are effectively excited by blue or near ultraviolet LEDs.

Rensselaer researchers have developed a smart, efficient, aesthetically pleasing, solid-state lighting system for homes and commercial spaces. Over 35% of the energy consumed by illumination can be saved by using advanced lighting control systems; however, these systems require frequent calibration and programming to adjust to interior redesign of the space and personal lighting needs. This technoloby involves LED fixtures that encode illumination with a time modulated data signal and incorporates a sparse network of low pixel light sensors distributed throughout the system.

Rensselaer researchers have developed programmable directed mesoscopic self-assembly and energy-assisted placement processes suitable for high speed, high accuracy, and low-defect rate LED system packaging operations. Current LED packaging technology is handled one semiconductor device element at a time, and is limited to a speed of about 10K units per hour. New technology is needed to package these devices, as well as associated control devices, into integrated lighting systems at much higher speeds, up to 10K units per minute.

This technology provides an LED design that can greatly improve polarization selectivity, 10:1, resulting in greater efficiency of the LED. The technology lies within a photonic crystal bi-refringent polarization rotator and an oxide spacer. The design blue-shifts transmission, which greatly improves overall efficiency of the LED by recycling wasted light and increasing polarization selectivity. Applications include: backlight units of liquid crystal displays, low noise sensing and high-contrast bio-imaging.

This technology relates to an ultra high efficient LED system with the capability to modify an LEDs radiation pattern by changing its physical dimension-emission beam shape. The ultra high efficiency and redistribution of light has been achieved without the use of a back reflector. The ultra high efficiency can be controlled by changing the size of the nanorods within the design. These features can be very useful for bio-sensing and bio-imaging applications.

This technology relates to solid-state devices as replacements for incandescent light bulbs. The LED based bulb uses the normal Edison socket, but the LED and heat sink are placed on the far end of the bulb. The heat sink attaches to the bottom and outside of the bulb providing a structural base for the LED. Several alternative shapes for the light guide are provided to optimize the light emitted both in quality and quantity (i.e., more closely matching that of white incandescent bulbs).