LAPLACE (UMR5213) is a join laboratory between Toulouse 3 University – Paul Sabatier (UPS), National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse (INPT) and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). LAPLACE (Laboratory of Plasma and Energy Conversion) represents a task force of 300 researchers. The LAPLACE budget (excluding salaries) is 6 M€, 30% comes from the Research Ministry and from the CNRS and 70% from contracts with the industry, involvement in local, national or European networks and projects.

The laboratory is divided in 14 research groups working in the fields of plasma processes and plasma applications, polymeric insulating materials, organic light emitting diodes and photovoltaic cells, power electronics, system modelling, light sources. More specifically the “Lumière et Matière” research group is working in the domain of science and technology of light sources (electrical discharge and Solid State Lighting systems) since more than 30 years now. The group has a task force of 15 researchers. The team has important experience on the modelling lighting systems, visible spectroscopy and electrical measurements.

Furthermore since last years this team has a leader position in France for the study of urban lighting systems. The team has various spectroscopic experimental set-ups for emission and absorption spectroscopy; A fast CCD camera (2 ns aperture time, 20 kHz max sampling frequency); a close-field goniometer for LED photometry study; a series of integrating spheres adapted to various light sources including LEDs; all necessary portable equipment for in-situ measurements (spectrophotometer, luminance and illuminance maters etc…); is also equipped with all necessary equipment for producing and characterising O-LEDs. Research activities of this team are done in close cooperation with big lighting Industries (Osram, Philips, GE Lighting, Ushio…) and electronic device manufacturers (Schneider Electric, Tridonic,…) and others (Universal Display Corporation, Trojan UV, Quantel).