The headline is inaccurate. The LED outputs more power than the electrical power input. The remainder of the energy comes in the form of heat from the surrounding environment. It works by applying slightly less voltage than the LED's bandgap and then relying on electron-phonon coupling to kick an electron to an orbital above the band gap.
That kills off a quanta of energy from whatever phonon mode gave the kick (which cools the LED), and the electron emits a photon when it relaxes back into the valence band. The LED is no longer in thermodynamic equilibrium with the surrounding environment, so heat flows into the LED.
Considering the expense we go to in order to cool things down, could this be scaled up to provide us with a light source and a cheaper way to cool things?
Right now, most energy that becomes heat is considered wasted because of limited applications in turning that heat back into usable energy.
Thanks for clearing this up. For the innocent bystander the headline sounded like something coming out of a Troll science strip. I was only missing the "magnets"...
7 comments
[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 27.2 ms ] threadThat kills off a quanta of energy from whatever phonon mode gave the kick (which cools the LED), and the electron emits a photon when it relaxes back into the valence band. The LED is no longer in thermodynamic equilibrium with the surrounding environment, so heat flows into the LED.
Right now, most energy that becomes heat is considered wasted because of limited applications in turning that heat back into usable energy.
When did they say these things would be industrial scale again?
Praise God for, helium voices.
God says...
55441
22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
22:8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
22:10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
22:11 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
22:12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
22:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
22:14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.
22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.