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Illuminating the Future: How LED Lights Could Revolutionize Internet and Data Transmission

Researchers from the University of Surrey and University of Cambridge have discovered how LED bulbs, using metal-halide perovskites, can facilitate fast data transmissions. This breakthrough in LED technology could revolutionize home and office networks, significantly enhancing data communication speeds and efficiency.

A study reveals that LED bulbs, enhanced with metal-halide perovskites, could dramatically speed up data transmissions in homes and offices, marking a significant advancement in communication technologies.

Fast data transmissions could be delivered in homes and offices through light-emitting diodes (LED) bulbs, complementing existing communication technologies and networks.

The future’s new internet technologies are being rapidly refined by academics and LED-based communication links are expected to be extensively used in numerous emerging services and scenarios, including Light-fidelity (Li-Fi), underwater communications, moderate- to high-speed photonic interconnects and various ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) devices.

“This is a significant step toward perovskite light sources for next-generation data communications.” — Hao Wang

A new study led by the University of Surrey and University of Cambridge has investigated how to release high-speed photonic sources using metal-halide perovskites. These are semiconductorsSemiconductors are a type of material that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor (such as copper) and an insulator (such as rubber). Semiconductors are used in a wide range of electronic devices, including transistors, diodes, solar cells, and integrated circuits. The electrical conductivity of a semiconductor can be controlled by adding impurities to the material through a process called doping. Silicon is the most widely used material for semiconductor devices, but other materials such as gallium arsenide and indium phosphide are also used in certain applications.” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]” tabindex=”0″ role=”link”>semiconductors being researched with LEDs for their excellent optoelectronic properties and low-cost processing methods.

Dr. Wei Zhang, lead corresponding author of the study and associate professor at University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute, said:

“Billions of IoT connected devices have the potential to add significant value to industry and the global economy. In this market costs and compatibility are often prioritized over data transmission speed and scientists are looking for alternative ways to reduce energy consumption per bit and improve compactness while simultaneously working on improving the speed of data connection.

“In our study, we have made a huge leap forward and shown how metal-halide perovskites could provide a cost-efficient and powerful solution to make LEDs which have enormous potential to increase their bandwidths into the gigahertz levels. The insights gained from this research will undoubtedly shape the future of data communication.

“Moreover, our investigations will accelerate the development of high-speed perovskite photodetectors and continuous wave pumped perovskite lasers, thus opening up new avenues for advancements in optoelectronic technologies.”

Hao Wang, co-first author and Ph.D. student at the University of Cambridge, said:

“We provided the first study to elucidate the mechanisms behind achieving high-speed perovskite LEDs, which represents a significant step toward the realization of perovskite light sources for next-generation data communications. The ability to achieve solution-processed perovskite emitters on silicon substrates also paves the way for their integration with micro-electronics platforms, presenting new opportunities for seamless integration and advancement in the field of data communications.”

The research published in the journal Nature Photonics<em>Nature Photonics</em> is a prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journal that is published by the Nature Publishing Group. Launched in January 2007, the journal focuses on the field of photonics, which includes research into the science and technology of light generation, manipulation, and detection. Its content ranges from fundamental research to applied science, covering topics such as lasers, optical devices, photonics materials, and photonics for energy. In addition to research papers, <em>Nature Photonics</em> also publishes reviews, news, and commentary on significant developments in the photonics field. It is a highly respected publication and is widely read by researchers, academics, and professionals in the photonics and related fields.” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]” tabindex=”0″ role=”link”>Nature Photonics was a collaborative project with the support of over 10 laboratories and research institutes from Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, Warwick, UCL, EMPA, and UESTC.

Reference: “High-bandwidth perovskite photonic sources on silicon” by Aobo Ren, Hao Wang, Linjie Dai, Junfei Xia, Xinyu Bai, Edward Butler-Caddle, Joel A. Smith, Huagui Lai, Junzhi Ye, Xiang Li, Shijie Zhan, Chunhui Yao, Zewei Li, Mingchu Tang, Xueping Liu, Jinxin Bi, Bowei Li, Shen Kai, Rui Chen, Han Yan, Jintao Hong, Liming Yuan, Igor P. Marko, Adrian Wonfor, Fan Fu, Steven A. Hindmarsh, Ana M. Sanchez, James Lloyd-Hughes, Stephen J. Sweeney, Akshay Rao, Neil C. Greenham, Jiang Wu, Yanrong Li, Qixiang Cheng, Richard H. Friend, Richard V. Penty, Ian H. White, Henry J. Snaith and Wei Zhang, 20 July 2023, Nature Photonics.
DOI: 10.1038/s41566-023-01242-9

Source: SciTechDaily