Graphene to Boost Internet Speed

What’s the Latest Development?

Thanks to its superconductivity, scientists believe graphene, the world’s strongest material, can be used to increase Internet speeds by improving on electronic components, such as the receivers used in fibre optic data connections. “The material’s use in photo-electrical systems is not new. Scientists had previously managed to produce a simple solar cell by placing microscopic metallic wires on top of graphene sheets and shining light onto them. Its superconductive properties meant that electrons could flow at high speed with extreme mobility.”

What’s the Big Idea?

Discovered in 2004, graphene has been hailed as a ‘wonder material’ that has the potential to revolutionize commercial and personal electronics. Professor Kostya Novoselov, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010 for discovering the material, says it holds promise for future technologies: “The technology of graphene production matures day-by-day, which has an immediate impact both on the type of exciting physics which we find in this material, and on the feasibility and the range of possible applications.”