How does LED Lighting WorkLED lighting has become ubiquitous in modern society, and is used both as a lighting solution and as indicators on thousands of different electronic devices. LED stands for light emitting diode, and is basically a low intensity semiconductor light source that can work across the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared spectrum. Like a normal diode, an LED is made up of a chip of semiconductor material that is doped with impurities in order to create a p-n junction. Electrical current flows easily in one direction but not in the reverse direction, which creates different energy levels which release their energy in the form of a photon. While there are a number of different types of LED lighting on the market, this is the basis of how they all function. The wavelength of light that is emitted in LED light depends on the band gap energy of the materials that form the p-n junction. For example, with silicon or germanium diodes, no optical emission is produced due to the way that the electrons and the holes recombine. In contrast to this, the materials that are used for LED lighting have a direct band gap where the energies involved correspond to either infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light. LED devices are relatively new in modern society, but they are now used in a number of different applications and devices. One of the most important advantages of LED-based lighting is its high efficiency, and improvements in technology mean that this is getting better all the time. |
