What is the Operating Principle of EL?
Electroluminescent lamps are devices which convert electrical energy into light or luminescence; the term luminescence is generally associated with solids that generate light. In the case of Electroluminescence, an electric field (voltage) is applied to a thin phosphor layer to produce light. The typical lamp consists of light emitting phosphor sandwiched between two conductive electrodes (one of the electrodes is optically clear allowing light to escape). As an AC voltage is applied to the electrodes, the electric field causes the phosphor to rapidly charge and discharge, resulting in the emission of light during each cycle. Since the number of light pulses depends on the magnitude of applied voltage, varying the operating voltage and frequency can generally control the brightness of EL lamps.
