LED-based white light

Abstract This article discusses the use of light-emitting diodes to generate white light – a research forefront in Physics and Ergonomics. We first present various technological approaches to white-light generation. After a general introduction to the human vision system, we discuss two key aspects of the quality of white light: the color of the light itself, and the color rendering of illuminated objects. We present the tools underlying modern color science, and review key color rendering metrics, from the well-known color rendering index to the latest improvements in the field.