WSJournal. Dazzling Diodes From FireFlies.

Mason jars fixed with small lights mimicking lighting bugs attract real lighting bugs.

Inspired by fireflies, scientists in Belgium, Canada and France have developed a way to increase the output of light-emitting diodes by up to 55%.

Among their many uses, LEDs serve as car lights and indicator lamps in electronic devices. The researchers copied the jagged pattern of tiny scales on a firefly's lantern. These scales maximize light output by minimizing internal reflections, thereby helping flashing fireflies attract mates. Scientists aped this design by using a laser to create a saw-tooth pattern 5 micrometers high atop a standard gallium nitride LED. The result, published in the journal Optics Express, was a big increase in efficiency. The authors say that their work could show up soon in the manufacturing of LEDs.