Electroluminescence
![Spectrum of a blue/green electroluminescent light source for a clock radio (similar to the one seen in the above image). Peak wavelength is at 492 nm and the FWHM spectral bandwidth is quite wide at about 85 nm.](/Images/godic/202501/10/Electroluminescent_panel_spectrum5758.png")
![An electroluminescent nightlight in operation (uses 0.08 W at 230 V, and dates from 1960; lit diameter 59 mm)](/Images/godic/202501/10/NightLight5758.jpg")
![The world's first electroluminescent billboard campaign, Canada, Winter 2005](/Images/godic/202501/10/Rogers_Shine-015758.jpg")
![1966 Dodge Charger instrument panel with electroluminescent lighting. Chrysler first introduced cars with EL panel lighting in its 1960 model year.](/Images/godic/202501/10/66ChargerDash25758.jpg")
Electroluminescence (EL) is an optical phenomenon and electrical phenomenon in which a material emits light in response to the passage of an electric current or to a strong electric field. This is distinct from black body light emission resulting from heat (incandescence), from a chemical reaction (chemiluminescence), sound (sonoluminescence), or other mechanical action (mechanoluminescence).