The electroluminescent Star Wars' light sabre

They are a big improvement on the day-glow plastic models sold at the time of the first Star Wars blockbuster, but a high-tech toy light sabre currently on the market is sensitive to sunlight and users are restricted to fun-in-the-dark.
Professor David Officer, Director of the University’s Nanomaterials Research Centre, and Centre technician Shannon Bullock, are working to optimise the electroluminescent lamps inside the sabres. The pink hue of the particular toy sabre (modelled on the sabre of Jedi Council character Mace Windu) will fade in sunlight to the un-dyed, natural, blue-green colour emitted by the electroluminescent compounds.

Full story »

All News summaries from Physics news
All News summaries for May 20, 2005