(no subject)
So which futuristic lamp will reign supreme -- the Luxim electrodeless plasma bulb, or nanocrystal-coated "warm white" LEDs?
The plasma bulb is starting in big industrial applications and working its way down. The LED is starting from tiny uses and working its way up.
Both offer long working life (30 to 50 times incandescent bulb), high efficiency (10 times incandescent), and more natural color than previous LED or gas-discharge lamps. The LEDs have, in the past, struggled to equal the energy efficiency of a fluorescent tube, but recently in the lab they show signs of being able to go much further. Some prototypes have reached 60% efficiency in converting energy into visible light! Even if that doesn't happen, I think LEDs probably win, being simpler and cheaper. But the plasma lamp is apparently closer to a natural white color.
There's a further possibility. It may be doable to get the cadmium-selenite nanocrystals that are used to coat the LED to glow white on their own, without needing the LED as a power source. In that case, the science fiction dream of paint-on illumination could come true. Of course, I do see one small drawback that could come up -- cadmium selenide is probably pretty toxic.
The plasma bulb is starting in big industrial applications and working its way down. The LED is starting from tiny uses and working its way up.
Both offer long working life (30 to 50 times incandescent bulb), high efficiency (10 times incandescent), and more natural color than previous LED or gas-discharge lamps. The LEDs have, in the past, struggled to equal the energy efficiency of a fluorescent tube, but recently in the lab they show signs of being able to go much further. Some prototypes have reached 60% efficiency in converting energy into visible light! Even if that doesn't happen, I think LEDs probably win, being simpler and cheaper. But the plasma lamp is apparently closer to a natural white color.
There's a further possibility. It may be doable to get the cadmium-selenite nanocrystals that are used to coat the LED to glow white on their own, without needing the LED as a power source. In that case, the science fiction dream of paint-on illumination could come true. Of course, I do see one small drawback that could come up -- cadmium selenide is probably pretty toxic.