January 2006

Advanced Luminescence is a company Co-Founded by Scott Blackstone, Prof. Charles Hunt, and Michael Burns.  It has a unique cathode material which is greater than 98% efficient as an electron field emitter, thus allowing one to make Field Emission Lamps with greater than 50 lumens per watt total electrical efficiency including ballast electronics. 

Cathode luminescent phosphors are phosphors stimulated by electron bombardment. Photo luminescent phosphors are phosphors stimulated by photon bombardment. Due to fundamental physics, cathode luminescent phosphors produce broad emission spectra, whilst photo luminescent phosphors, which are used in white LED and fluorescent lighting, produce narrow emission spectra. Both types of phosphors have the same "lifetimes" when graded using the same lifetime metrics.^*

The physics of cathode luminescent phosphors combined with Advanced Luminescence's super high efficiency cathode material, allows one to make lamps with the electrical efficiency of fluorescent lights but with the full spectrum color quality of incandescent lamps. In low volume, the cost of these lamps is comparable to compact fluorescent lamps of the same brightness.

Advanced Luminescence suspended its VC fundraising activities as of mid-2006.

Above, kitten fascinated by an blue phosphor Advanced Luminescence Field Emission Demo Lamp in a display box.

Above, close-up of lamp in action.

^*The lifetimes of all three technologies are limited by the breakdown of the phosphors which occurs when they are stimulated to emit visible light, not by the technology used to excite those phosphors. In the case of fluorescent lighting vs white LED lighting, that means the photo luminescent phosphor sets the lifetime not the mercury vapor ultra-violet (UV) generation (in the case of fluorescents) nor the lifetime of the pn-junction used for UV generation (in the case of white LEDs). The fluorescent lighting industry defines the phosphors as having reached the end of their lifetime when the phosphor efficiency has dropped to 80% of new. The white LED industry defines the phosphors as having as having reached the end of their lifetime when the phosphor efficiency has dropped to 50% of new. When either technology, fluorescent lighting or white LED lighting, grades the other technology's lifetime using their technology's metric for lamps using the same phosphors, the lifetimes of the two technologies are similar. Cathode luminescent phosphors have lifetimes (using either the 80% or 50% metrics) also similar to photo luminescent phosphors.