Lasers for lighting?

[Martin Weiss]

Diode lasers with a light output comparable to HMI may soon become a reality for lighting purposes, according to newer research: http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-10-high-quality-white-four-color-laser-source.html

In below example one side uses standard incandescent lighting, the other uses lasers.

 

[Gunleik Groven]

OK...

I hope the left is HMI...

 

[Richard Andrewski]

This already happened a long time ago. The LaserMatic QuickFlash:

 

[Conrad Hunziker]

My eye says the one on the right is tungsten, and reading the article, thats what it says. Id like to see a spectrograph.

 

[Richard Andrewski]

Using blue UV lasers to illuminate a remote phosphor would give better spectral output in my opinion. 4 colors is probably not enough to keep it from being discontinuous.

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

Exciting news.

I'm glad the research is really starting to roll in and give us new lighting options.

If these are the results of an early lab test, just to prove its an area worthy of research ... it could move along rather quickly.

My concerns are less the eventual color fidelity, but with the comfort levels of looking at the light sources.

As far as color fidelity goes, you should be able to get creative with interference and be able to blend up just about any spectrograph you want. One advantage of lasers is that the emitted light is very simple and thus easier to model mathematically resulting that ultimately its easier to manipulate.

LED, Plasma and Laser ... practically a different world