Research Progress and Applications of Non‐Carrier‐Injection Electroluminescence

ABSTRACT Non‐carrier‐injection electroluminescence (NCI‐EL) uses an AC electric field and displacement current to activate internal charge reservoirs and drive radiative recombination, enabling light emission without steady‐state carrier injection or strict ohmic‐contact requirements. This review summarizes NCI‐EL from device/circuit excitation to carrier‐level processes and clarifies its connections and differences with photoluminescence and mechanoluminescence. We compare representative emissive materials, including organic/polymeric AC‐EL systems, wide‐bandgap semiconductors, colloidal quantum dots, and 2D transition‐metal dichalcogenides, and organize mainstream device configurations into planar non‐injection, interdigital‐electrode, single‐terminal, and coaxial architectures. Application advances are reviewed in micro‐/nano‐displays, nondestructive inspection and sensing, and optical information transmission and neuromorphic functions enabled by waveform programmability and history‐dependent emission. We further propose a unified design framework based on charge source, spatial distribution, time scales, and driving waveform, and discuss key challenges in voltage/efficiency, reliability, multiscale modeling, and manufacturing compatibility.