KUNMING - Researchers in Southwest China's Yunnan province have developed a chip that is more efficient in enhancing night vision than conventional devices, according to a paper published Thursday.

Night vision devices collect infrared light not visible to the naked eye, and use image enhancement technology to convert the invisible infrared photons to visible photons.

The device developed by Chinese scientists allows up to 5 percent higher conversion efficiency during the process, said He Shoujie, research leader and a physics professor at Yunnan University.

The square-shaped chip with a side length of 12 millimeters, integrates a photoactive buffer layer between two organic light-emitting diodes in a tandem configuration.

The structure can harvest more photo-carriers than conventional devices to generate visible photons, according to He.

The chip is expected to be applied in medical imaging, health examinations and range finding, He said.

The findings were published in the latest issue of "Applied Physics Letters."