Graphene is starting to see the light, although it’s still not ready for primetime. The wonder material — one-atom-thick carbon sheets — is often touted as the future of electronics because it conducts electricity so well. The key word, though, is “future”. Practical uses are still down the road.
But it looks like we could be hearing more about graphene as the future of devices that convert light to electricity: solar cells and optoelectronics. Researchers have dramatically boosted the amount of light graphene can absorb by adding carefully positioned, nanoscale bits of metal.
For a good description of the research and its potential uses, check out physicsworld.com’s article.