The 13th International Symposium on the Science and Technology of Lighting (LS13)—an elite forum of scientists and engineers sharing the most recent research and development in the science and technology of light sources, lighting systems, and their key application fields —will take place June 24-29 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The event is hosted by the Rensselaer Lighting Research Center (LRC), the world’s leading university-based research and education organization devoted to lighting.

The International Symposium on the Science and Technology of Lighting (LS) has been held regularly since 1973 and provides a unique opportunity for the worldwide community of technology leaders from the lighting industry, research organizations, and academia to meet, present, and discuss their recent work in lighting.   

LS community interests have reflected contemporary lighting technology during its nearly 40-year history. This has resulted naturally in a growing and significant representation of solid-state lighting (SSL) technologies in its program. 

“The conference will provide a stimulating and informed environment for scientists and engineers to discuss all aspects of fundamental and applied research on thermal, discharge, and plasma technologies, as well as SSL, specifically white light emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs),” said LRC Professor and Director Mark S. Rea.

LS13 is taking place at a time of rapid change in the science and technology of lighting.  “The LRC and the conference organizers both have well-established, close connections with the light source manufacturing industry, and together we are working to ensure that attendees will gain a comprehensive overview of the current status of the lighting field, its challenges, and its opportunities,” said Rea.

Each meeting in the LS series has special features inspired by the local planning committee. As such, LS13 will include the following unique sessions and events.

• ASSIST-sponsored session - The Alliance for Solid-State Illumination Systems and Technologies (ASSIST), now in its 10th year, is sponsoring a session where member organizations will present their latest technical developments.
• CTO session - Chief technology officers (CTOs) of leading lighting companies will provide their visions for the future of light source and system developments.
• Lighting metrics session - This discussion will focus on how light sources affect visual and non-visual functions such as color rendering and circadian stimulation.
• Tour of LRC facilities - Attendees can sign up for LRC tours, showcasing current research through demonstrations and displays. The LRC is housed in a 30,000-square-foot facility with state-of-art equipment and the ability to perform research and conduct advanced simulations and testing in diverse areas of lighting. The LRC is the only university-based lighting laboratory accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), the highest accreditation available in the field. (NVLAP lab code: 200480-0)

Similar to previous LS meetings in the series, LS13 will also feature these key components:

• Invited Speakers providing topical, in-depth overviews of progress in areas of interest to the community at large;
• Contributed Papers by delegates describing their current light source-related work;
• Landmark Papers selected from the contributed papers for being particularly notable or representing important new development trends;
• Poster Sessions where all papers given at the meeting are presented to promote open discussion among the delegates; and a
• Proceedings Volume published by FAST-LS, an independent foundation supporting the LS series, that is provided to all participants and whose content is abstracted by leading search engines.

New name, same world-class conference
The LS organization takes a comprehensive planning approach to ensure the meeting faithfully reflects current activity in the field of lighting science and technology. This has resulted in increasing representation of lighting systems applications in the conference program.  In an effort to better reflect the scope of the content, the LS organization slightly modified the symposium name from years past, when it was called International Symposium on the Science and Technology of Light Sources. 

Venue and registration details
Conference activities, including presentations, posters, and banquets, will be held at the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC), a showcase work of architecture and a unique technological facility that boasts unrivaled presentation and production capabilities for art and science.  Complete LS13 information, including a conference schedule, registration information, contributing paper requirements, and more can be found at http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/ls13.

About the Lighting Research Center
The Lighting Research Center (LRC) is part of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is the leading university-based research center devoted to lighting. The LRC offers the world’s premier graduate education in lighting, including one- and two-year master’s programs and a Ph.D. program. Since 1988 the LRC has built an international reputation as a reliable source for objective information about lighting technologies, applications, and products. The LRC also provides training programs for government agencies, utilities, contractors, lighting designers, and other lighting professionals. Visit www.lrc.rpi.edu.