Light-emitting diode emitted, so the attainment of high efficiency in blue LEDs was quickly followed by the development of the first white LED. In this device a :Ce (known as "YAG") cerium doped phosphor coating on the emitter absorbs some of the blue emission and produces yellow light through fluorescence. The combination of that yellow with remaining blue light appears white to the eye. However, using different phosphors (fluorescent materials) it also became possible to instead produce green and red light through fluorescence. The resulting mixture of red, green and blue is not only perceived by humans as white light but is
Reciprocity (optoelectronic) maximized. A light emitting diode is operated at an applied forward bias (without external illumination). While a solar cell converts the energy contained in the electromagnetic waves of the incoming solar radiation into electric power (voltage x current) a light-emitting diode does the inverse, namely converting electrical power into electromagnetic radiation. A solar cell and a light emitting diode are typically made from different materials and optimized for different purposes; however, conceptually every solar cell could be operated as a light emitting diode and vice versa. Given that the operation principles have a high symmetry it is fair to assume