IBM researchers have created a new type of high speed Graphene circuit that has the potential to transform several of the everyday electronics that many people have around their homes. The ultra-thin material supposedly has a lot of potential in changing the way we look at certain appliances, such as higher bandwidth communication, to a new form of smartphone that could be sold at a much cheaper price.
The wafer scale Graphene integrated circuit, which has been published in the Science journal, has the function of a broadband frequency mixer which is the type of technology featured in every sort of communication device. According to the New York Times, IBM has previously made specific transistors but not a whole circuit.
Unfortunately, the new technology is not going to be put into use soon. There is still no known way to produce the graphene material in such high quantity, and implementing it in such a way that it will work with other technologies is still far off.
Richard Doherty, president of Envisioneering Inc. commented that it may open up an entire new part of the spectrum which is available to consumer electronics. In practice, this could mean opening up a new part of the WiFi area and allowing a greater amount of data to be sent to TV set-top boxes. There"s also the potential to use the material in displays where at present, OLED displays have a tendency to eventually deplete their lifespan.
Image Credit: physicsworld.com