Nihei Laboratory - The Next-Generation Information Society Created by "Light"

The internet population in Japan now exceeds 90 million, and an advanced information society where people can freely access their desired information is beginning to become a reality.

At the Nihei Laboratory, we view the information society from the perspective of "light" and are advancing research on devices that manipulate light in various ways, such as the optical fiber networks that form the backbone of internet connections and the displays that visualize this information for us to see.

In the realm of light-emitting devices, in addition to researching organic EL, which has recently gained attention for its use in displays, the Nihei Laboratory is aiming to realize organic ECL, a technology known as electrochemiluminescence. Organic ECL is a new method that emits light through a chemical reaction. Whereas organic EL uses solid materials, organic ECL employs a very simple structure in which a liquid is sandwiched between transparent electrodes. For this reason, it is also expected to solve the challenges associated with organic EL, such as the difficulty of creating large screens and ensuring long lifespans. However, as organic ECL is still under research, it naturally faces its own challenges.