Re: Most Efficient Light Source??

Well, regarding the nanotube claim specifically, it's from Phaedon
Avouris, a respected researcher from IBM's Watson Research Center.

What exactly is happening in that nanotube setup, that's making the
electron-hole pair creation and anihilation so much more efficient? Can
anybody explain that? We've heard how nanotube tips have
unprecedentedly low work function, so that they can be the world's most
efficient cathode ray emitters. This seems to be due to the sudden
curvature of the nanotube tip relative to the lengthwise span of the
nanotube. Obviously even the suddenness of that curvature is only
possible due to the unprecedented strength of the nanotube's lattice
structure.

So is this photon emission thing possibly another example of the
nanotube's structure parlaying itself into better photo-emissive
properties? They mention the lattice strain seems to be playing a role,
so is that fullerene lattice strength allowing something special here?

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