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Solid-state lighting

Solid-state lighting is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Solid-state lighting rather than just read about it. In short: Solid-state lighting (SSL) is a type of lighting that uses semiconductor light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), or polymer light-emitting diodes (PLED) as sources of illumination rather than electrical filaments, plasma (used in arc lamps such as fluorescent lamps), or gas. Solid state electroluminescence is used in SSL, as opposed to incandescent bulbs (which use thermal radiation) or f…

Solid-state lighting — main illustration
Solid-state lighting — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Solid-state lighting belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Solid-state lighting to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Solid-state lighting from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Solid-state lighting (SSL) is a type of lighting that uses semiconductor light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), or polymer light-emitting diodes (PLED) as sources of illumination rather than electrical filaments, plasma (used in arc lamps such as fluorescent lamps), or gas. Solid state electroluminescence is used in SSL, as opposed to incandescent bulbs (which use thermal radiation) or fluorescent tubes. Compared to incandescent lighting, SSL creates visible light with reduced heat generation and less energy dissipation. Most common "white LEDs” convert blue light from a solid-state device to an (approximate) white light spectrum using photoluminescence, the same principle used in conventional fluorescent tubes. The typically small mass of a solid-state electronic lighting device provides for greater resistance to shock and vibration compared to brittle glass tubes/bulbs and long, thin filament wires. They also eliminate filament evaporation, potentially increasing the life span of the illumination device. Solid-state lighting is often used in traffic lights and is also used in modern vehicle lights, street and parking lot lights, train marker lights, building exteriors, remote controls etc. Controlling the light emission of LEDs may be done most effectively by using the principles of nonimaging optics. Solid-state lighting has made significant advances in industry. In the entertainment lighting industry, standard incandescent tungsten-halogen lamps are being replaced by solid-state lighting fixtures.

See also L Prize LED lamp List of light sources Smart lighting

References

Further reading Assessment of Advanced Solid State Lighting. National Academies Press. 2013. doi:10.17226/18279. ISBN 978-0-309-27011-3. Kho, Mu-Jeong, Javed, T., Mark, R., Maier, E., and David, C. (2008) 'Final Report: OLED Solid State Lighting: Kodak European Research' MOTI (Management of Technology and Innovation) Project, Judge Business School of the University of Cambridge and Kodak European Research, Final Report presented on 4 March 2008 at Kodak European Research at Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK, pages 1–12.

External links

EUROPEAN METROLOGY RESEARCH PROJECT - METROLOGY FOR SOLID STATE LIGHTING Solid State Lighting, International Energy Agency research project DOE SSL roadmap Lighting Research Center - Solid-State Lighting Program OLLA: finished European academic-industrial research project into OLED lighting OLED100.EU: successor to the OLLA project

Illustrations

Solid-state lighting: An assortment of LED lamps commercially available as of 2010 as replacements for screw-in bulbs, including floodlight fixtures (left), reading light (center), household lamps (center right and bottom), and low-power accent light (right) applications
An assortment of LED lamps commercially available as of 2010 as replacements for screw-in bulbs, including floodlight fixtures (left), reading light (center), household lamps (center right and bottom), and low-power accent light (right) applications

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Solid-state lighting

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Solid-state lighting claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Solid-state lighting before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Solid-state lighting ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Solid-state lighting

In research
Solid-state lighting appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Solid-state lighting in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Solid-state lighting is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Energy-saving lighting, Light-emitting diodes, Semiconductor devices, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Solid-state lighting outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Solid-state lighting in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Solid-state lighting means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Solid-state lighting out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Solid-state lighting in simple terms?

Solid-state lighting (SSL) is a type of lighting that uses semiconductor light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), or polymer light-emitting diodes (PLED) as sources of illumination rather than electrical filaments, plasma (used in arc lamps such as fluorescent lamps), or…

Why does Solid-state lighting matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Solid-state lighting?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Solid-state lighting.

Tags

  • Energy-saving lighting
  • Light-emitting diodes
  • Semiconductor devices
  • Types of lamp

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