Communications of the ACM
Brighter Color For Reflective E-Reading Displays
Red, yellow, and magenta test swatches made from novel luminescent materials are shown next to an array of color standards used to evaluate the quality of displays. Researchers at HP are using these materials to develop more vibrant reflective displays.
Credit: Hewlett Packard
Hewlett-Packard (HP) researchers are developing new materials that use ambient light to create more vibrant colors for video-capable, low-power screens. The researchers developed a composite material that converts blue and green light into red, and another material that converts blue light into green. A fast-switching liquid-crystal shutter sits above each pixel and lets light in and out. In theory, the HP materials should be brighter than a perfect color reflector, says HP researcher Gary Gibson.
Creating brighter blue light remains a challenge because there is not enough higher-wavelength light in sunlight to convert to blue. HP's prototypes either use a conventional, larger blue subpixel or rely on blue light in a white subpixel to achieve sufficient brightness.
The researchers created materials that are stable over time and work in optical systems similar to those that could be used in a display. Eventually, HP could combine reflective displays with flexible, rugged plastic electronics.
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