STOCKHOLM, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three scientists won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for their invention of blue light-emitting diodes (LED), a new energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly light source, the award-giving body announced Tuesday.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2014 to Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano from Japan and Japan-born U.S. scientist Shuji Nakamura.
"With the advent of LED lamps we now have more long-lasting and more efficient alternatives to older light sources," the jury said in a statement.
The LED lamp holds great promise for increasing the quality of life for over 1.5 billion people around the world who lack access to electricity grids, as it can be powered by cheap local solar power due to low power requirements, the statement said.
The invention of the blue LED is just 20 years old, "but it has already contributed to create white light in an entirely new manner to the benefit of us all," it added.
Akasaki, born in 1929, is a professor at Meijo University and Distinguished Professor at Nagoya University. Amano, born in 1960, is a professor at Nagoya University.
Nakamura, born in 1954 in Japan, is an American citizen and a professor at University of California.
During an onsite telephone interview, Nakamura said it was really "unbelievable" to be informed of this prize despite being waken up in the midnight.
Commenting on this year's invention, Prof. Olle Inganas from the Nobel Committee of Physics said it was "benefiting of the mankind" and thus in accordance with Alfred Nobel's will.
This year's prize, 8 million Swedish crown (about 1.12 million U.S. dollars), will be shared equally between the three laureates.
Poster Comment:
Frames 3,5,6,and 7 show invention schematics; #8 is the lamp. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2014-10/07/c_133697392_3.htm