German Future Prize for innovative lighting and solar technology

Enlarge image New technology masterminds: Prof. Dr Karl Leo, Dr Jan Blochwitz-Nimoth and Dr Martin Pfeiffer (left to right) received the German Future Prize 2011. (© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz) The efficiency of light sources is low, and a lot of energy is often lost. Three scientists from Dresden set out to find a solution to this problem. They developed a highly efficient form of organic electronics that makes the applications of such things as light-emitting diodes and solar cells more versatile and cheaper. On December 14 in Berlin, Federal President Christian Wulff awarded the German Future Prize 2011 to the three physicists for their innovative work. Germany’s annual “innovation Oscar”, which was introduced in 1997, is endowed with 250,000 euros. It is regarded in Germany as the most prestigious award for new technologies which emerge from research, have concrete applications and are mature for commercial markets.

Crystalline semiconductors form the basis for numerous future technologies. But the processing of materials like silicon is complex and expensive. That’s why the team surrounding Professor Karl Leo, head of the Institute of Applied Photophysics at the TU Dresden and director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) in Dresden, opted for organic materials and then improved their properties as semiconductors. The scientists succeeded in making plastics fit for use in a very wide range of products. They developed organic light diodes (OLEDs) which have a much greater light output than fluorescent tubes, and organic solar cells that are efficient enough to replace silicon cells in certain applications.

 Professor Karl Leo sees organic electronics as a technology that will “change our lives”. His realistic vision for the future includes large-scale light sources that can be installed like a second skin in a multitude of different places. In addition to this, transparent, super-thin solar cells could eventually be integrated into cars or bags to transform sunlight into electricity for air conditioning systems or MP3 players.