3M bites on quantum dots for displays

Quantum dots are typically nanoscopic particles that are so small that excited electrons are limited to only certain quantum states. Quantum dots have been around for a long time, and companies have been touting their potential usefulness in displays for several years. Basically, technologies like LEDs are limited in the colors of the spectrum that they can produce. Quantum dots, on the other hand, can be made to emit at nearly any frequency on the spectrum, so a collection of these dots can be made to produce a much more faithfully "white" light -- light that is a combination of all the frequencies of the visible spectrum. Nanosys, one of the leaders in this technology, has teamed up with 3M to produce a simple solution for enhancing the brightness and clarity of color displays. Their solution is a simple drop-in film that could be easily added to existing technologies.