The organic light-emitting diode (OLED) emits a brilliant white light when attached to an electricity supply.
The material, described in the journal Nature, can be printed in wafer thin sheets that could transform walls, ceilings or even furniture into lights.
The OLEDs do not heat up like today’s light bulbs and so are far more energy efficient and should last longer.
They also produce a light that is more akin to natural daylight than traditional bulbs.
“We’re hoping that this will lead to significantly longer device lifetimes in addition to higher efficiency,” said Professor Mark Thompson of the University of Southern California, one of the authors of the paper.