The paper’s Abstract follows.

Abstract

The nature of enhanced photoemission in disordered and amorphous solids is an intriguing question. A point in case is light emission in porous and nanostructured silicon, a phenomenon that is still not fully understood. In this work, we study structural photoemission in heterogeneous cross-linked silicon glass, a material that represents an intermediate state between the amorphous and crystalline phases, characterized by a narrow distribution of structure sizes. This model system shows a clear dependence of photoemission on size and disorder across a broad range of energies. While phonon-assisted indirect optical transitions are insufficient to describe observable emissions, our experiments suggest these can be understood through electronic Raman scattering instead. This phenomenon, which is not commonly observed in crystalline semiconductors, is driven by structural disorder. We attribute photoemission in this disordered system to the presence of an excess electron density of states within the forbidden gap (Urbach bridge) where electrons occupy trapped states. Transitions from gap states to the conduction band are facilitated through electron–photon momentum matching, which resembles Compton scattering but is observed for visible light and driven by the enhanced momentum of a photon confined within the nanostructured domains. We interpret the light emission in structured silicon glass as resulting from electronic Raman scattering. These findings emphasize the role of photon momentum in the optical response of solids that display disorder on the nanoscale.

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In the box you get the glass globe with embedded three-dimensional solar system design, platform that can be powered with the included microUSB cable and any USB power source or via three AAA batteries (not included), and a ribbon in case you want to turn the packaging into a gift. That’s it. No manual or other instructions. Fortunately, operation is simple.

After powering the base, you place the crystal ball on it, You can then cycle through white, red, purple, or green light. If you hold down the button, it will automatically cycle through the colors, including some additional colors and mixes. With any of the lights active, it’s easy to see the fine details within the globe, including the names of the sun and major planets.

At roughly 3 inches tall and wide, this is not the biggest desktop decoration, but it does look nice. Overall, it’s an interesting addition if you’re looking for something a bit different to display and look at.

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In the box, you get the light, two adhesive hooks, and instructions. Once out of the box you need to peel off the protective plastic film over the acrylic on both the front and back of the light so the background is completely clear. Removing this film is not particularly hard until you get to the inside of Pac-Man, the dots, and the ghosts, which is a real pain, but I was able to finish doing it by bugging my wife who has much longer nails than I do.

Once the film is off, you can either mount the light with the included hooks or just let it rest as-is. Power is supplied via a standard 5V USB port or power supply, which is not included. There’s a convenient on/off switch on the USB cable.

In action, the sign looks great. My photos definitely don’t do it justice, but the LED lighting (no, it’s not neon, but you could have probably guessed that) is bright, colorful, and consistent across its nearly 17-inch wide profile. There’s no animation, which would have been an interesting option, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it as a static, glowing decoration.

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Basically, this mask has low-resolution RGB LEDs embedded in it. Using the free Shining Mask app, you’re able to access a large library of pre-made designs, both static and animated. You can also have the mask display your own emojis and text, as well as use your own images from your photo library. It’s easy to use and a ton of fun.

This version of the mask takes 3 AA batteries (not included) but they also have a slightly more expensive version that is rechargeable. Personally, I find it more convenient to use the AA batteries, but your mileage may vary. It’s supposed to run about 12 – 16 hours depending upon usage.

About the only complaint I have with this product is that the mask itself is not particularly comfortable, so it’s not ideal for wearing it for more than short bursts. The straps are kind of cheap and hurt my ears. Visibility through the eye slits is also not the best, so definitely be careful walking with this on.

Overall, this mask is fantastic. Since the app offers limitless customization, you’ll be able to do anything you want with the mask’s display. There are even various music modes where you can sync the display to what’s being played on your phone, as well as external gesture control to change what’s displayed on the mask. Even with the comfort not being the best, this is still a product that’s easy to recommend.

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You see, instead of taping an LED lightstrip to the back of your TV, the UltraPro simply rests from the top of the back of the television. You then plug the USB power cable into the USB port on your TV (most modern sets have at least one), and every time you power on the television, it shines a 6500K backlight. It’s a nice, soft light, and does a great job setting off our 75-inch television. If for some reason you want the bias light off, there’s also a discrete On/Off button.

There’s not much else to say about the UltraPro. It does a great job accommodating large televisions and the bracket system is ingenious and non-intrusive. Unless you have a particularly thin television without a sufficient “shelf” to rest the bracket on, this is a great option. Overall, this is the best inexpensive bias lighting system I’ve ever tried.

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