The Smart Lighting Engineering Research Center (ERC) advances LED technology by making substantial progress in novel materials, device technologies and system applications. The main goal of the center is to demonstrate revolutionary lighting systems with controllability and tunability for bio-imaging, high-efficiency displays and illumination devices, safer transportation and novel modes of communications, as well as other applications.

Innovations at The Smart Lighting ERC will be rapidly commercialized through our industrial partners while securing intellectual property. Meanwhile, more and more intelligent, innovative young people will be attracted to Science, Math and Engineering Education through our outreach educational program. Funded by the NSF, The Smart Lighting ERC is a collaborative effort between RPI, Boston University, University of New Mexico, and other universities and educational outreach programs.

In this interview, E. Fred Schubert, director of the Smart Lighting ERC at Rensselaer, discusses his work with the center, the latest breakthroughs and development trends in solid-state lighting, and other areas that have great potential. He was interviewed by Rich Donnelly for SPIE Newsroom.

Schubert is Wellfleet Senior Constellation Professor at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY), and head of the Senior Constellation Chair of the Future Chips Constellation. Schubert's primary research interest is in the field of compound semiconductor materials and devices. His studies include epitaxial growth, materials characterization, device processing and fabrication, device design, and device characterization. Devices include heterobipolar transistors, lasers and light-emitting diodes for communication, lighting, and sensing applications.

Fred Schubert Interview (QuickTime).