In 1985, Ching Tang and Steven Van Slyke of Kodak's R&D lab in Rochester, NY, demonstrated light-emitting devices based on thin films of fluorescent organic molecules. Although they might not have fully recognized it at the time, their invention carried the possibility of transforming display screens and, perhaps more importantly, interior lighting.

But the invention had a significant drawback that was imposed by quantum mechanics. Making these organic molecules emit light requires injecting electrons from electrical contacts on the film surfaces. But because of quantum-mechanical considerations, only one in four electrons injected will produce light emission. As a result, fluorescent organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) had relatively low efficiency.