Boston Chapter of the IEEE Photonics Society

Thu
May 11, 2006
7:00 PM
 

Verizon Laboratories
 

PhlatLight: a unique high-brightness solid-state light source

Dr. Christian Hoepfner, Luminus Devices

Abstract:  In this talk, I will present an overview of high-brightness LED technology.  I'll then introduce a new solid-state light source called PhlatLight (Photonic lattice light) currently being mass-produced by Luminus Devices.  This technology originated from ground-breaking research conducted at MIT on improving LEDs using photonic lattices.  Luminus Devices was founded in 2002 to capitalize on this new technology and drive it from prototype to mass-production.  Over the past four years Luminus has created PhlatLight technology, the only solid-state light source available at the brightness levels required for advanced lighting applications, and developed the corresponding manufacturing expertise necessary to commercialize PhlatLight devices.

As a first application, Luminus has enabled rear-projection televisions (RPTVs) using PhlatLight technology.  Solid-state light sources have long-lifetime, they are environmentally safe, have a wide color gamut, and can be turned on and off rapidly, making them preferred over conventional arc lamps that are typically used for microdisplay RPTV.   Up until now, due to the low-brightness of LEDs and the relatively high price of lasers, a solid-state light source powered RPTV has not been possible.  At the consumer electronics show (CES) in Las Vegas this past January, 10 different television manufacturers using a range of microdisplay technologies (LCOS, 3LCD, DLP) demonstrated RPTVs powered by PhlatLight devices.   PhlatLight devices are currently in mass-production and will be available in RPTVs this year.

Biography:  Dr Christian Hoepfner joined Luminus Devices in July 2004. He has more than 15 years hands on and managerial experience with research and development of optoelectronic devices. He was Director of Product Development at Bandwidth Semiconductor, developing VCSELs and photodiodes. More recently, he held the same position at LNL Technologies, a MIT startup commercializing silicon based optical waveguide technology. Dr. Hoepfner holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the Free University in Berlin, Germany.

Location:  Verizon Laboratories