QD Vision of Lexington, Massachusetts, a developer of quantum dot based LEDs, reports having achieved 19 cd/A efficiency and 18 percent external quantum efficiency. QD Vision’s latest QLED performance results are currently published in the 21 April 2013 issue of Nature Photonics. In the article, QD Vision reports achieving 18% External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) with a color saturated red quantum dot-based LED.

The company claims that this puts QLEDs near the fundamental efficiency limit of the technology which the company says is 20 percent for quantum dots.These results are two times higher efficiency than previously reported state-of-the-art efficiency of a QLED device. QD Vision says its current and luminous power efficiency are better than the best evaporated OLED result of the same color coordinate, and significantly better than what solution-processed OLEDs have thus far achieved.

In comparison, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) recently reported 11 percent external quantum efficiency for a blue organic light emitting diode (OLED) at 800 cd/m2. However Phosphor-based OLEDs are apparently not included in the company's comparison statement.

“This paper clearly demonstrates the fundamental efficiency advantage that QLEDs have over any other emissive display technology. Achieving this milestone is a great breakthrough and the result of years of hard work and dedication to achieving what others may have thought impossible,” said QD Vision co-founder Seth Coe-Sullivan.

While at an earlier stage of development and commercialization than QD Vision’s Color IQTM products, QD Vision says that its QLED performance is already suitable for use in certain products that require precision color solutions in an ultra-slim form factor, including monochrome visible and infrared displays, and lighting devices for machine and night vision applications.