Conversionless efficient and broadband laser light diffusers for high brightness illumination applications
File(s)s41467-020-14875-z.pdf (3.11 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Laser diodes (LDs) are considered the next generation of ultra-efficient light sources. However, state-of-the-art LD-based lighting systems rely on light-converting phosphorous materials, which strongly limit the efficiency, lifetime as well as the achievable light output due to energy losses, saturation, thermal degradation and low irradiance levels. Here, we demonstrate a macroscopically expanded, three-dimensional diffuser composed of interconnected hollow hexagonal boron nitride microtubes with nanoscopic wall-thickness, acting as an artificial solid fog, capable of withstanding ~10 times the irradiance level of remote phosphors. Indeed, in contrast to phosphors, no light conversion is required as the diffuser relies solely on strong broadband (full visible range) lossless multiple light scattering events, enabled by a highly porous (> 99.99%) non-absorbing nanoarchitecture, resulting in efficiencies of up to 98 %. This can unleash the potential of lasers for high-brightness lighting applications, such as automotive headlights, projection technology or lighting for large spaces.
Date Issued
2020-03-18
Date Acceptance
2020-02-03
Citation
Nature Communications, 2020, 11, pp.1-10
ISSN
2041-1723
Publisher
Nature Research (part of Springer Nature)
Start Page
1
End Page
10
Journal / Book Title
Nature Communications
Volume
11
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2020. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give
appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative
Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party
material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless
indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the
article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory
regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from
the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/4.0/.
Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give
appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative
Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party
material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless
indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the
article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory
regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from
the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/4.0/.
Sponsor
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Identifier
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14875-z
Grant Number
EP/P02534X/1
EP/T005106/1
EP/P02534X/2
Subjects
Science & Technology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
PHOSPHOR-IN-GLASS
SPECKLE REDUCTION
RAMAN-SCATTERING
NITRIDE
NETWORKS
FOAM
FABRICATION
LIGHTWEIGHT
GENERATION
CONVERTER
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-03-18