Scientists in the US have devised a new flexible material that could revolutionise the way we light our homes and offices.

The material is the product of a 13 year research project by scientists at the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and the University of Michigan. It is similar to an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) in that it uses layers of blue, green and red screens to create white light.

The new material replaces the blue screen with a dyed sheet, which cuts power consumption by 20 per cent but still allows the panel to remain clear when not supplied with current. This would allow the panels to be used as sky-light by day or as the transparent top to a laptop.

"This process will enable us to get 100 percent efficiency out of a single, broad spectrum light source," said Stephen Forrest, formerly of Princeton University and now vice president for research at the University of Michigan

"With a future emphasis on manufacturing technology, this structure may provide an important, low-cost and efficient means that will replace incandescent lighting in many different applications."

The only hurdle to overcome before production is to find the right kind of backing plastic for the screens. Any moisture entering the layers of screens will degrade performance so a now, non-porous plastic, since all commercial plastics let in some humidity.

"There's no plastic that's hermetic enough to make devices that will last a long period," Thompson said, while predicting that this problem can be solved.

The research has been sponsored by the US Department of Energy and Universal Display Corp., which holds exclusive licensing rights to the group's OLED inventions.