Lighting the 21st century: Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura received the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for the development of the blue light-emitting diode*

Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura received the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for their invention of the blue light-emitting diode. This discovery has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources for efficient solid-state lighting. The long road to this scientific development and its more recent fast-paced industrial and commercial application is illustrated. One thousand three hundred fifty modules with a total of 16,000 light-emitting diodes in handrails illuminate the steps of the Kiev sports stadium bright and safely. This kind of compact and efficient lighting was made possible by the work awarded with the Nobel Prize in 2014.