Nobel laureate Shuji Nakamura (L) and KAUST Professor Boon Ooi (R) work together in a collaborative project on laser-based solid-state lighting.
"In 2014, Nakamura, Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in developing blue LEDs, which have been essential in enabling the creation of white LED lights suitable for widespread use. LEDs are not inherently white light-producing devices, and white light production requires either the use of a blue LED to excite yellow phosphor, or a combination of red, green and blue LED lights."
"Although red and non-visible near infrared diodes existed, it was much more challenging to create blue ones. Nakamura and his colleagues produced blue LEDs through the use of the semiconductor gallium nitride (GaN), a material that was notoriously difficult to handle at that time."
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