There's nothing worse for the telly addicts amongst us than sitting down to watch TV and getting an awful glare off the screen, but a simple layer of gold could help to make the glass more transparent say researchers in London. In flat-screen TVs and light emitting diodes (LEDs) found in watches and alarm clocks, light is generated within a layer of active material in the glass. This layer traps light, meaning it can only be viewed head-on, and not at other angles. Light is reflected back from the glass at larger angles, instead of passing through it, meaning we see a reflection, rather than the image behind it. Researchers from King's College London found that by covering glass with a film of gold, more light can be transmitted through more angles, reducing the amount of light that is reflected back. "This research could greatly increase output in LEDs, allowing new heights of efficiency to be reached," said research leader Ryan McCarron, a PhD student from the department of physics. "It may also allow nanoscale light sources for many other applications such as bio and chemical sensing and integrated photonics." To read this story in full, please visit: www.labnews.co.uk/news/research-leads-to-tv-gold/
