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Researchers in Japan have created the first low-power flexible vacuum ultraviolet lamp. The solid-state lamp emits high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light at the shortest wavelengths ever recorded from such a device measuring from 140 to 220 nanometres. 

The wavelengths of light created are classified as vacuum-UV light and at these energies, the photons of light can pass through a vacuum, quickly converting into other forms by oxygen. 

"Our lamp is a promising light source in terms of lifetime, size, heat conduction and stability. It has the potential to be an excellent alternate light source to low-pressure mercury lamps, excimer lamps and deuterium lamps," explained Shingo Ono of Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan, in a press release. 

"Because when it strikes oxygen-containing molecules on a surface, it generates highly reactive oxygen radicals, which can completely destroy any microbes contaminating that surface."

Currently, vacuum ultraviolet energy are being used in medical devices. However, the current setup is not highly preferable because of its large size and price. Further, manufacture of the device requires the use of hazardous materials which harms the environment. 

This device has been created by growing a luminescent "phosphor" from a thin sheet of an inexpensive materials such as potassium, magnesium and fluorine.

This new method of designing lights could deliver a new generation of the ultraviolet lights that are small, durable and environmentally friendly. The new phosphor produces no significant heat, and is flexible. Not only could the advance be useful in medicine, but it could be used for a wide variety of electronic applications, wrote TechTimes. 

"The new lamp avoids those issues because it was fabricated with a solid-state phosphor which is easy to make, avoids the use of toxic gasses and does not require expensive rare earth elements," the researchers noted in the paper

Researchers published their work in the journal APL-Materials.