Nobel Prize in Physics 2014: Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura share award for invention of blue LED

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 was awarded jointly to Japanese scientists Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura “for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes [LED] which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources”.

The blue LEDs developed by Professors Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura helped produce bright, energy-efficient white light sources.

The winners, named at a press conference in Sweden, will share prize money of 8 million kronor ($1.1 million).

The physics Nobel has been awarded to 196 other laureates since 1901.

Prof. Shuji Nakamura, who was woken up in Japan to receive the news, told the press conference: “It’s unbelievable.”

Making the announcement, representatives of the Nobel Foundation emphasized the usefulness of the invention, adding that the Nobel Prizes were established to recognize developments that delivered “the greatest benefit to mankind”.

“These uses are what would make Alfred Nobel very happy,” said Prof. Olle Inganas, a member of the prize committee from Linkoping University.

The committee chair, Prof. Per Delsing, from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, emphasized the winners’ dedication: “What’s fascinating is that a lot of big companies really tried to do this and they failed.

“But these guys persisted and they tried and tried again – and eventually they actually succeeded.”