Cathodoluminescent lamps are the latest development of a group of scientists from MIPT. The samples obtained by them do not contain mercury at all and surpass the luminescent and LED counterparts in a number of parameters. This is a good reason to take a closer look at new lighting products.
Principle of operation
The work of the lighting device is based on the already known principle of ultraviolet radiation (UV). By using the principle of field emission, scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology managed to do without mercury vapors hazardous to humans. This means that the new product is environmentally friendly and can be disposed of along with normal waste.
Note: There are no analogues of this development in the world yet!
Anyone who is familiar with how a TV kinescope works - it is not difficult to understand the principle of autoelectronic emission (photo below).
Inside the kinescope and the cathodoluminescent lamp, there is a pair of electrodes (cathode and anode), between which a potential difference of several tens of kilovolts is formed.
As a result, the electrons emitted by the cathode are accelerated to high speeds and bombard the anode, immediately behind which there is a phosphor layer. Under their influence, the sensitive layer begins to glow (emit photons).
Technological and operational features
Newly designed lamps generate light in a very wide spectrum of the visible range (from UV to infrared). At the testing stage, the developers paid special attention to the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. Similar developments in the United States were not crowned with success, as the products were too expensive and had a long turn-on delay.
Russian researchers managed to deal with all the problems thanks to such innovations as:
- Application of field cathodes in the lamp design and the phenomenon of field emission.
- The latter consists in the emission of a stream of electrons from the cold cathode.
- The use of the tunnel effect, which made it possible to consume only a small part of the electric field power.
The light bulb cathode is made from regular carbon and is shaped to withstand intense radiation. Moreover, it provides sufficient emission current and is very cheap. To compete successfully in the lighting market, a compact and relatively inexpensive power supply has been developed.
Advantages and disadvantages
Benefits of the new development:
- The radiation spectrum is pleasant and safe for the human eye.
- The area of the light-emitting surface is increased (the lamp shines brighter than analogs).
- Its activation time does not exceed 0.5 milliseconds.
- Wide temperature range (-196 to +150 degrees).
- Low production costs.
- No need for disposal.
No shortcomings were found in the new type of lighting fixtures (except that they are under development).