Smart Quantum Dot-Based Lighting System More Accurately Reproduces Daylight

Researchers have used quantum dots (tiny semiconductors just one-billionth of a meter in size) to design smart, color-controllable white-light devices that are more efficient, have better color saturation than standard LEDs, and can Dynamic reproduction of daylight conditions under single light.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have designed the next generation of smart lighting systems by combining nanotechnology, color science, advanced computing methods, electronics and a unique manufacturing process.

The team found that by using more than three lighting colors used in typical LEDs, they were able to more accurately reproduce sunlight. Early tests of the new design show excellent color rendering, a wider working range than current smart lighting technologies, and wider white light customization. The results were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Since the availability and properties of ambient light are related to well-being, the widespread availability of smart lighting systems could have a positive impact on human health, as these systems can respond to individual emotions. Smart lighting can also respond to circadian rhythms, regulating the daily sleep-wake cycle so that light appears reddish-white in the morning and evening and blue-white during the day.

When a room has sufficient natural or artificial light, good glare control and outdoor views, it is said to have good visual comfort. In indoor environments under artificial light, visual comfort depends on how accurate the color rendering is. Since the color of objects is determined by lighting, smart white lighting needs to be able to accurately represent the color of surrounding objects. Current technology does this by using three different colors of light at the same time.

Since the 1990s, quantum dots have been researched and developed as light sources because of their high color tunability and color purity. Due to their unique optoelectronic properties, they exhibit excellent color performance in both broad color controllability and high color rendering capabilities

Cambridge researchers have developed a next-generation smart white lighting architecture based on quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs). They combine system-level color optimization, device-level optoelectronic simulation, and material-level parameter extraction.