One of the best examples on the market is DefenseLite polycarbonate security panels. DefenseLite is 250 times stronger than glass and nearly invisible once installed. It’s been test across a wide range of blunt force objects and weapons and is proven effective as an unbreakable glass solution for the most demanding applications. It’s also easily mounted to existing glazing frames using a custom vented aluminum extrusion that creates a stand-off from the primary window and door glass.

Polarized LEDlight

LEDanode cathode diagram

As an alternative to laminated glass upgrades, safety and security window film can offer similar advantages and features. Security window film is often far less expensive to install and can also offer added benefits, like energy savings, sun control, and UV protection.

In less technical terms, the left handed oriented chiral layer allows the transport of electrons having spin up but block electrons with spin down and vice versa. In the device structure, this results in circularly polarized light emission – without the need for a magnetic field, magnetic materials or cryogenic temperatures.

Can a single chipLEDproduce white light

Although these panels look and function like glass windows, they are made of a combination of polycarbonate, acrylics, and other plastic resins. The combined strength and durability of its material composition makes polycarbonate panels a truly unbreakable and impenetrable solution.

If you’re interested in unbreakable glass that truly lives up to its name, polycarbonate panels are the type you want. Polycarbonate panels are significantly more difficult to break than both standard glass windows and laminated glass mentioned above. Compared to these latter options, polycarbonate panels deliver superior protection against forced entry attempts, burglaries, and weather-related disasters.

To start, a few words about spintronics. Electrons can spin in two directions (call them spin up and spin down). An electric current is not required to maintain spin. Most optoelectronic devices, including conventional LEDs, operate using only the charge aspect of electrons and not their spin. Spintronic devices, however, can use spin alone or both. Implementation of spintronics-based technology typically requires the ability to controllably re-orient the direction of an electron’s spin. Due to spin, electrons have a magnetic moment. As a consequence, controlling spin direction usually requires using a magnetic field, magnetic materials and possibly even cryogenic temperatures. Companies that make LED displays clearly do not want to deal with such requirements – thus, spintronics have not been used in LEDs. The research undertaken by the team was intended to address key issues that prevent the use of spintronics in LEDs.

LEDpolarity marking on PCB

In their article, the researchers report that the so-called spin-LED device achieves ±2.6% circularly polarized electroluminescence at room temperature.

LEDDirect

How to identify positive and negative terminal ofLED

A recent article by the team on this topic is entitled “Chiral-induced spin selectivity enables a room-temperature spin light-emitting diode.” It was published in Science, 2021; 371 (6534): 1129. A copy of the article is available for purchase here.

While a laminated glass or shatterproof windows can effectively delay forced entry attempts, a polycarbonate window will always maintain its integrity against the most relentless and aggressive of attacks, including bomb blasts. Some polycarbonate panels have been engineered for ballistic protection, which provides protection against firearm threats.

At Window Film Depot, we specialize in many different types of protective glass solutions. Whether you need a security deterrent to prevent burglaries and looting, or a full-on ballistic solution to stop armed intruders dead in their tracks, we can help you determine the optimal solution to fit your needs. Get in touch with one of our professionals by contacting us online or call 866-933-3456  for more information.

LEDpositive negative symbol

Unbreakable glass windows are a confusing product type in the window industry. There’s a great deal of misbelief and misconception around unbreakable glass and whether certain products deliver on such promises.

This because there are many catch-all terms and labels that are tossed around as “unbreakable glass,” when in reality, most security products on the market can indeed be penetrated with enough force and willpower.

DefenseLite also produces BulletShield, polycarbonate shields that offer UL 752 ballistic protection at a fraction of the cost of alternative products. RIghtfully acclaimed the body armor for windows, BulletShield is a bullet-resistant option that’s been tested with a wide range of firearms. You can learn more about this ballistic unbreakable glass solution here.

SMDLEDpolarity

There are real incentives to develop LED materials and device configurations that emit circularly polarized light. Using conventional approaches, close to half of the unpolarized light produced by an LED can be blocked by the circularly polarizing anti-glare filter that is typically attached to the uppermost surface of a LED-based display.

Rather, it’s designed to be very shatter-resistant. When this type of laminated security glass does break, it holds glass shards in place to prevent the glass from shattering dangerously inwards. So while this solution might help protect against natural disasters and storm threats, it might not be enough to protect against a bomb blast or a determined intruder.

In the window industry, unbreakable laminated glass is often tossed around as “shatterproof glass.” This has become a catch-all term that vaguely defines a certain variety of laminated security glass products. However, this term can be a bit misleading because most shatterproof laminated security glass is not 100% unbreakable.

The particular advantage of the use of perovskite materials in spintronic applications is that they are two dimensional. This allows fabrication of “large areas,” many square centimeter sized areas, each of which containing 1015 standing molecules with the same chirality.

The researchers conclude their article with the observation that “The concept proves that using these two dimensional chiral-hybrid systems gain control over spin without magnets and has broad implications” for applications that include LED devices. -Arthur Berman

For instance, laminated glass can be a sound solution for retailers who wish to better protect their storefront and merchandise against smash-and-grab theft, burglary, rioting, and looting. It can also be installed on glass windows and doors of homes and residential complexes to help deter intruders and threats.

In the latest news, a team of researchers headed by Young-Hoon Kim of the Chemistry and Nanoscience Center within the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden, CO) is developing a new and highly novel type of circularly polarized light emitting LED that is based on spintronics technology.

Despite its ambiguity, there are in fact unbreakable glass options on the market. Buyers must understand the various types of products and how they differ in terms of strength and un-breakability.

Laminated security glass can delay entry by a few minutes to total non-entry, depending on the thickness of the glass and the determination and tools of the individual trying to gain access. It can be a sufficient deterrent for vulnerable locations.

Development of an LED that directly emits circularly polarized light with a handedness that matches that of the circularly polarizing anti-glare filter should result in a much brighter display. Alternately, an LED material designed to emit circular polarized light having appropriate handedness could improve energy efficiency by a factor of about two with no reduction in display brightness. A number of approaches are under development to produce such a LED. One such method was reported last year in a Display Daily article entitled “Means to Switch the Chirality of OLED Light Emission is Under Development”.

Both of these widely-known types of “unbreakable glass” are far more durable and lightweight than normal glass windows, but they’re not created equally. Below we go into greater detail behind each of these solutions and which option might be best for you.

In terms paraphrased from the article, the approach adopted by the researchers can be explained with reference to the figure below. From bottom to top: