New light to illuminate the world

Efficient blue light-emitting diodes leading to bright and energy-saving white light sources

Press Release

7 October 2014

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 

has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2014 

to

Isamu Akasaki
Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan and Nagoya University, Japan

Hiroshi Amano
Nagoya University, Japan

and

Shuji Nakamura
University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

“for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources”

source:nobelprize.org

Blue LEDs - Filling the world with new light
This year’s Nobel Laureates are rewarded for having invented a new energy-efficient and environment-friendly light source – the blue light-emitting diode (LED). In the spirit of Alfred Nobel the Prize rewards an invention of greatest benefit to mankind; using blue LEDs, white light can be created in a new way. With the advent of LED lamps we now have more long-lasting and more efficient alternatives to older light sources.
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2014/press.html  

source:nobelprize.org

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 was awarded jointly to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura "for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yul4igVhrMo

source:nobelprize.org

Announcement of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics by Professor Staffan Normark, Permanent Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, on 7 October 2014. 
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2014/announcement.html

Isamu Akasaki
Born: 1929, Chiran, Japan
Affiliation at the time of the award: Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
Prize motivation: "for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources"
Prize share: 1/3
Other resources:http://en.nagoya-u.ac.jp/people/distinguished_award_recipients/nagoya_university_distinguished_professor_isamu_akasaki.html

Ill. N. Elmehed. © Nobel Media 2014

Hiroshi Amano
Born: 1960, Hamamatsu, Japan
Affiliation at the time of the award: Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
Prize motivation: "for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources"
Prize share: 1/3
Other resources:http://profs.provost.nagoya-u.ac.jp/view/html/100001778_en.html

Ill. N. Elmehed. © Nobel Media 2014

Shuji Nakamura
Born: 1954, Ikata, Japan
Affiliation at the time of the award: University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Prize motivation: "for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources"
Prize share: 1/3
Other resources:http://ssleec.ucsb.edu/

Interview transcript

"I was so happy. And I was so surprised!

"Shuji Nakamura was asleep in California when he got the call that he had been awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics together with Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano. But now there's "No time for sleep. No time for rest.". Hear how he reacted when he got the call from Stockholm. 

"Always there is a problem and I have to solve the problem." http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2014/nakamura-telephone.html

Ill. N. Elmehed. © Nobel Media 2014

Facts on the Nobel Prize in Physics