Oleg Losev
Encyclopedia
Oleg Vladimirovich Losev (May 10, 1903 – January 22, 1942) was a scientist
and inventor. He was born to a high-ranking family in Imperial Russia. He published a number of papers and patents during his short career. His observations of LEDs
languished for half a century before being recognized in the late 20th and early 21st century. In 1907, H. J. Round
made a very brief report (only 2 paragraphs) in Electrical World regarding light coming from SiC by electrical excitation. Losev's papers provided much more detailed information than Round.
.
In the period of 1924 and 1941, he published a number of articles detailing the function of a device that he developed, which would generate light via electroluminescence
when electrons fall to a lower energy level. For example, he published an important paper in Philosophical Magazine
.
In 1951, Kurt Lehovec
et al. published an important paper in Physical Review
. Losev's papers were cited but his name appeared as Lossew. Kurt Lehovec's theoretical explanation is much better than Losev's.
Both Round and Losev experimented with SiC
which was used as a radio detector in the early days of wireless. However, SiC is an indirect bandgap semiconductor and so inefficient as a material for light-emitting diode. GaN
is a direct bandgap semiconductor and so expected to be the more efficient material. The light from even modern SiC LED is somewhat faint but the light from InGaN
LED can be dazzlingly bright. Thus neither Round's nor Losev's pioneering work, even if it had been continued, was likely to lead to a practical success.
In the April 2007 issue of Nature Photonics
, Nikolay Zheludev gives credit to Losev for inventing the LED
.
Specifically, Losev patented the "Light Relay" and foresaw its use in telecommunications.
Unfortunately, before this device could be developed, the Second World War intervened, and Losev died in 1942 during The Siege of Leningrad
(now St. Petersburg), at the age of 39.
. After the first experiments, he built regenerative and superheterodyne receivers, and even transmitters. However, this discovery was not supported by authorities and soon forgotten and no device was produced in mass quantity beyond a few examples for research. Crystadine was produced in primitive conditions; it can be made in a rural forge – unlike vacuum tube
s and modern semiconductor devices.
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and inventor. He was born to a high-ranking family in Imperial Russia. He published a number of papers and patents during his short career. His observations of LEDs
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
languished for half a century before being recognized in the late 20th and early 21st century. In 1907, H. J. Round
H. J. Round
Captain Henry Joseph Round was one of the early pioneers of radio and received 117 patents. He was the first to report observation of electroluminescence from a diode, leading to the discovery of the light-emitting diode...
made a very brief report (only 2 paragraphs) in Electrical World regarding light coming from SiC by electrical excitation. Losev's papers provided much more detailed information than Round.
Light-emitting diodes
In course of his work as a radio technician, he noticed that crystal diodes used in radio receivers emitted light when current was passed through them. In 1927, Losev published details in a Russian journal of the first-ever light-emitting diodeLight-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
.
In the period of 1924 and 1941, he published a number of articles detailing the function of a device that he developed, which would generate light via electroluminescence
Electroluminescence
Electroluminescence is an optical phenomenon and electrical phenomenon in which a material emits light in response to the passage of an electric current or to a strong electric field...
when electrons fall to a lower energy level. For example, he published an important paper in Philosophical Magazine
Philosophical Magazine
The Philosophical Magazine is one of the oldest scientific journals published in English. Initiated by Alexander Tilloch in 1798, in 1822 Richard Taylor became joint editor and it has been published continuously by Taylor & Francis ever since; it was the journal of choice for such luminaries as...
.
In 1951, Kurt Lehovec
Kurt Lehovec
Kurt Lehovec is one of the pioneers of the integrated circuit, 1959. He innovated the concept of p-n junction isolation used in every circuit element with a guard ring: a reverse-biased p-n junction surrounding the planar periphery of that element. This patent was assigned to Sprague Electric...
et al. published an important paper in Physical Review
Physical Review
Physical Review is an American scientific journal founded in 1893 by Edward Nichols. It publishes original research and scientific and literature reviews on all aspects of physics. It is published by the American Physical Society. The journal is in its third series, and is split in several...
. Losev's papers were cited but his name appeared as Lossew. Kurt Lehovec's theoretical explanation is much better than Losev's.
Both Round and Losev experimented with SiC
SIC
Sic is a Latin word that means "thus" or, in writing, "it was thus in the source material".Sic may also refer to:* Sic, Cluj, a commune in Romania* SiC, Silicon carbide, a semiconducting material, also used to make metalworking tools from...
which was used as a radio detector in the early days of wireless. However, SiC is an indirect bandgap semiconductor and so inefficient as a material for light-emitting diode. GaN
Gan
Gan may refer to:-Computing and telecommunications:*.gan, the file extension for documents created by GanttProject*Generic Access Network formerly known as Unlicensed Mobile Access *Global Area Network- Mythology :...
is a direct bandgap semiconductor and so expected to be the more efficient material. The light from even modern SiC LED is somewhat faint but the light from InGaN
Ingan
Ingan is a village in the Punjab province of Pakistan....
LED can be dazzlingly bright. Thus neither Round's nor Losev's pioneering work, even if it had been continued, was likely to lead to a practical success.
In the April 2007 issue of Nature Photonics
Nature Photonics
Nature Photonics is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Nature Publishing Group. The journal covers research related to optoelectronics, laser science, imaging, communications, and other aspects of photonics and was established in January 2007...
, Nikolay Zheludev gives credit to Losev for inventing the LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
.
Specifically, Losev patented the "Light Relay" and foresaw its use in telecommunications.
Unfortunately, before this device could be developed, the Second World War intervened, and Losev died in 1942 during The Siege of Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
(now St. Petersburg), at the age of 39.
Other contributions
In the early 1920s Russia, devastated by civil war, Oleg Losev was experimenting with applying voltage biases to various kinds of crystals, with purpose to refine the reception. The result was astonishing – with a zincyte (zinc oxide) crystal he gained amplification. This was negative resistance phenomenon, decades before the tunnel diodeTunnel diode
A tunnel diode or Esaki diode is a type of semiconductor diode which is capable of very fast operation, well into the microwave frequency region, by using quantum mechanical effects....
. After the first experiments, he built regenerative and superheterodyne receivers, and even transmitters. However, this discovery was not supported by authorities and soon forgotten and no device was produced in mass quantity beyond a few examples for research. Crystadine was produced in primitive conditions; it can be made in a rural forge – unlike vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
s and modern semiconductor devices.
External links
- Facsimile of "Light Relay" and other Oleg Losev's patents – from Russian Patents blog