Researchers develop polarized LCD backlighting unit based on semipolar microLEDs and perovskite materials

Researchers from several Universities in China developed a self-polarizing RGB device utilizing semipolar microLEDs and perovskite based films aimed at improving backlight applications.

In standard LCD displays, the backlighting units emits non-polarized light, which then results in an almost 50% light loss as this light has to pass through a polarizer (this is part of the LCD light path). The newly developed high-performance device is designed to emit RGB polarized light which results in higher efficiency and no light-loss dueo to the LCD filter.

Led by Associate Professor Tingzhu Wu, the team engineered a device architecture incorporating blue semipolar microLEDs, which inherently emit polarized light. These LEDs serve as the excitation source for color-conversion layers made from stretched composite films of green and red perovskite nanocrystals. These films exhibit strong polarized emission thanks to their aligned wire structures, further enhanced by encapsulation in a high-dielectric constant material for the red components.

This device design has achieved polarized light emission across the full RGB spectrum with high efficiency and stability, marking a critical advancement in display technology. The green and red perovskite layers maintain their polarization properties under stretch, offering a practical solution for scalable luminescence applications. Furthermore, the device demonstrates a wide color gamut, exceeding standard benchmarks with 137.2% of NTSC and 102.5% of Rec. 2020, alongside impressive Degree of Linear Polarization (DOLP) values across all three colors.