From Edison to LEDs: The Science and Story of Light Sources

Visible  light has an inescapable presence all around us. We have generated  light from prehistoric times using a variety of techniques. In modern  times, we mainly produce illumination through electrical means. There  are interesting historic anecdotes and fascinating scientific facts  behind the various modern techniques for generating light.

This  book attempts to describe the stories and technologies related to many  light sources — some common, some less so. Described in a more-or-less  chronological fashion, the book looks at developments from Edison and  Swan's invention of the incandescent lamp, through lasers, to LEDs, and  more. While the main focus is on sources of visible light, a number of  devices that produce invisible radiation are also covered for the sake  of completeness.

The book provides a holistic view of  common and uncommon light sources from both historic and technical  perspectives, to help readers place more modern developments in the  context of what came before, and how. This book will be of benefit to  all who are interested in optical sciences, especially in the  generation, detection or use of electromagnetic radiation. 

Readership: Undergraduate/graduate students and faculty of Physics, Electrical  Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Built Environment, Illumination  engineers. Lighting designers, Optical and photonic scientists and  engineers involved with product design and manufacturing in consumer and  industrial sectors as well as in defense and semiconductor industries.