Quantum Dots, Colour TVs, and Saskatoon’s Canadian Light Source. The three come together as the CLS focuses in on Quantum Dots – or nanocrystals – that, for one thing, could make the colours on our TVs more pristine. The dots glow in precise wavelengths of red, blue or green. Conventional LEDs found in televisions produce muddier colours derived from the white light of the diodes which are filtered to achieve the desired colours. Blue light Dots have been particularly challenging to achieve.

A team of researchers has been working on developing blue light dots; the Holy Grail of light because from blue, red and green light can be produced. The CLS has helped validate their results in developing the blue light-emitting Dots and has helped clarify what the structural changes achieve in terms of performance.