New LEDs could power displays, devices

U.S. researchers say a new kind of light-emitting diode or LED could power television and computer displays, lighting, traffic lights and electronic devices. University of Utah physicists said their new "spintronic" organic light-emitting diode or OLED promises to be brighter, cheaper and more environmentally friendly than current LEDS. "It's a completely different technology," physics Professor Z. Valy Vardeny said in a UT release Thursday. "These new organic LEDs can be brighter than regular organic LEDs." A prototype of the new kind of LED -- known technically as a spin-polarized organic LED or spin OLED -- produces an orange color, but Vardeny said it should be possible within two years to produce red, blue and even white spin OLEDs. The main challenge, however, is that the new OLEDs need a temperature of minus 28 degrees Fahrenheit to operate and must be improved to the point they can run at room temperature, he said.