Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have developed a groundbreaking digital display screen that uses LEDs to react to touch, light, fingerprints, and the user’s pulse. This innovation, recently published in Nature Electronics, has the potential to revolutionize displays in phones, computers, and tablets. Professor Feng Gao, an expert in optoelectronics at Linköping University, expressed excitement about the results and sees great potential in creating new advanced features for digital displays.
Traditional LCD and OLED screens can only display information, requiring additional sensors for functions like touch detection or fingerprint recognition. However, the new display developed by researchers at Linköping University integrates all sensor functions within the LEDs themselves, eliminating the need for extra sensors. This innovative approach opens up possibilities for creating multifunctional displays that can respond to various stimuli without additional components.
The key to this new technology lies in the use of perovskite, a crystalline material with exceptional light absorption and emission properties. The perovskite LEDs in the display enable it to react to touch, light, fingerprints, and even the user’s pulse. Additionally, the screen can be used to charge devices through solar energy, further enhancing its functionality. For example, a smartwatch screen could harvest light to charge the device during idle periods, extending the time between charges significantly.
To display a full range of colors, a screen typically requires LEDs in red, green, and blue to produce various color intensities. The researchers at Linköping University have successfully developed screens with perovskite LEDs in all three colors, allowing for a display that can showcase thousands of colors within the visible light spectrum. This achievement paves the way for vibrant, high-quality displays with enhanced color capabilities.
In spite of these advancements, there are still challenges to overcome before this technology becomes widely available. Zhongcheng Yuan, a researcher at the University of Oxford and lead author of the paper, highlights the need to improve the service life of perovskite LEDs. Currently, the screen only functions for a few hours before instability sets in and the LEDs stop working. Researchers believe that within the next decade, many of these issues can be resolved, bringing this innovative display technology to consumers worldwide.
Overall, the development of the novel digital display screen with integrated sensor functions represents a significant step forward in display technology. The potential for creating advanced features and improving energy efficiency makes this innovation a promising candidate for future applications in personal electronics. With ongoing research and collaboration, researchers are optimistic about overcoming current challenges and bringing this cutting-edge technology to the market within the next decade.
