Conversion of sound waves to electricity could lead to better LEDs and computer chips

23 March 2009

Electrical signals are converted into sound in a cell phone and by reversing this technique; researchers claim to have that they can significantly enhance the efficiencies of LEDs and computer chips. The speakers in a cell phone use piezo electric device that generally operates at low frequency easily heard by human ear, however the detection of high frequency sound is a challenge for researchers.

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory along with the collaboration from scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Nitronex Corporation have first time converted the highest frequency sound to light by reversing the common process that converts electrical signal to sound. Researchers took a high frequency wave that is almost 100 million times than the audible frequency and generated light by reversing the process.

During the earlier studies it was possible to detect acoustics and shock waves with terahertz frequencies using sub-pico second lasers and now just reversing the process and by converting the high frequency sound waves into electricity. This study is useful for detecting materials on very small length scales and could significantly enhance the effectiveness and life of many computing chips.

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