LUXIM, the world leader in Light Emitting Plasma(tm) technology, is a privately owned clean tech company based in Sunnyvale, California, which was founded in 2000.
LUXIM manufactures a solid state electrodeless lamp lighting system. LUXIM technology has been deployed on every continent throughout the world and is used in the following applications: General Lighting, Entertainment Lighting, Instrumentation Lighting and Specialty Lighting.
Their LEP lamp is able to operate up to 50% more efficiently than conventional HID (High-intensity discharge lamp) lamps while generating the same maintained lumens as a conventional 400 watt system at about half the energy. LUXIM's Light Emitting Plasma is designed to complement LED. LEP is designed for use in high illuminance applications, LED is more suitable in low illuminance applications.
In the General Lighting Market, LUXIM offers two products: the STA 41-01 and the STA 41-02. Both systems have a CCT in the 5600-5700 range. The STA 41-01 has a CRI of 75 and a life of 50,000 hours, the STA 41-02 has a CRI of 95 and a life of 30,000. These products are used in high illuminance applications such as streets, parking lots, big-box retailers, distribution centers, parks, and sports lighting applications.
LUXIM works with a variety of Luminare Manufactures across the world. Presently, the following luminaire types are available on the market: Cobra head, shoe-box, high bay, low bay, canopy, aquarium, and architetural.
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The bulb sub-assembly is where a sealed bulb is embedded in a dielectric material. This design is more reliable than conventional light sources that insert degradable electrodes into the bulb. The dielectric material serves two purposes: first as a waveguide for the RF energy transmitted by the PA and second as an electric field concentrator that focuses energy in the bulb. The energy from the electric field rapidly heats the material in the bulb to a plasma state that emits light of high intensity and full spectrum.
Step 1. An RF circuit is established by connecting an RF power amplifier to a ceramic resonant cavity known as the "puck". In the center of the puck is a sealed quartz bulb that contains materials consistent with metal halide lamps.
Step 2. The puck, driven by the power amplifier, creates a standing wave confined within its walls. The electric field is strongest at the center of the bulb which ionizes the gases inside the bulb.
Step 3. The ionized gas heats up and evaporates the metal halide materials which form a bright white plasma column within the bulb. This plasma column is centered within the quartz envelope and radiates light very efficiently. In the back side of th bulb, a highly reflective power is used to reflect nearly all of the light in a forward direction.
Patents: LUXIM has 17 patents issued. In 2009, LUXIM settled its patent suit with Ceravision.