Identifying a new, cleaner source for white light$1:
Unfortunately, however, white light generation by newer technologies such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is not straightforward and often relies on a category of materials called "rare-earth metals," which are increasingly scarce. This has recently led scientists to look for ways to produce white light more sustainably. Researchers at Giessen University, the University of Marburg, and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have recently uncovered a new class of material called a "cluster glass" that shows great potential for replacing LEDs in many applications.
"We are witnessing the birth of white-light generation technology that can replace current light sources. It brings all the requirements that our society asks for: availability of resources, sustainability, biocompatibility," said Prof. Dr. Simone Sanna, Giessen University Professor and lead computational researcher on the project.
"My colleagues from the experimental sciences, who observed this unexpected white light generation, asked for theoretical support. Cluster glass has an incredible optical response, but we don't understand why. Computational methods can help to understand those mechanisms. This is exactly the challenge that theoreticians want to face."
The best advances in science often begin, "That's odd..".
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