How Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) Work

The Science Behind LED Outdoor Lighting

Our blog has long sung the praises of LED lighting. Whether you work for a California municipality that’s investigating LED lighted bollards and street lighting, or you run a Nevada business that wants to make its corporate plaza more energy efficient and safer for visitors, LEDs have gotten your attention. But how, exactly, does this supposedly “miracle” technology work?

LEDs contain semiconductors, which are often made of aluminum gallium arsenide. These are “doped” with added free electrons or with holes for electrons to enter. Semiconductors with extra electrons are called N-type materials. Semiconductors with extra “holes” are P-type materials. P-type materials “crave” electrons, while N-type materials want to give them away. The diode contains both N and P type materials.

Roughly speaking, when you connect an N-type material to a negative electrode on the circuit, and your hook up a P-type to the positive end, this creates a kind of dynamo. Electrons zoom towards the P-type end, and the extra electrons from the N-type drop into the P-type holes. As the electrons drop into lower orbitals, they release energy as photons. These photons are ultramicroscopic packets of light. The nature, color, and intensity of that light depends on the materials used, which in turn determines things like how far the electron drops.

Why Use LED Lighting

When the drop is small, the electrons don’t jump far, and the photons are invisible. That is, we can’t see the light with our eyes. If the jump is longer, the photons that emerge will fall into the visible electromagnetic spectrum. In other words: we can see them! Different materials lead to different “length drops,” which in turn determine the color of the LEDs. Hence the reason so many colors are available on the market, especially for outdoor lighting projects.

This technical explanation aside, you may have many questions about how to switch over to an LED lighting solution in a cost-effective way. Get in touch with the Great Basin Lighting team today at 925.240.1566 (California) or 775.333.0900 (Nevada) to explore your options. We’d be happy to answer any of your questions about LEDs.