Graphene Believed to be Key Toward Low-Power Telecoms
Researchers at Columbia University said they have developed a hybrid graphene-silicon/photonic chip that enables ultra low-power optical information processing.
According to the research result scheduled to be published in the August issue of Nature Photonics, the scientists were able to build the chip in a way that its system parameters such as transmittance and wavelength conversion can change with the input power level.
Additionally, they were able to create a radio frequency carrier on top of the transmitted laser beam and control its modulation with the laser intensity and color. As its ability to tune the radio frequency was explored, the researchers discovered that the hybrid chip enabled them to achieve "radio frequency generation with a resonant quality factor more than 50 times lower than what other scientists have achieved in silicon."
In a statement, professor of mechanical engineering Chee Wei-Wong said that the team of scientist was able to generate "new optical frequencies through nonlinear mixing of two electromagnetic fields at low operating energies, allowing reduced energy per information bit." He added: "This allows the hybrid silicon structure to serve as a platform for all-optical data processing with a compact footprint in dense photonic circuits."
As most other graphene research projects, this work is in its nascent stages and a commercial production is not in sight yet. However, the potential opportunity opened by graphene and new research results surfacing on an almost daily basis is stunning.
"We have been able to demonstrate and explain the strong nonlinear response from graphene, which is the key component in this new hybrid device," said Tingyi Gu, the study's lead author and a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering. "Showing the power-efficiency of this graphene-silicon hybrid photonic chip is an important step forward in building all-optical processing elements that are essential to faster, more efficient, modern telecommunications. And it was really exciting to explore the magic of graphene's amazingly conductive properties and see how graphene can boost optical nonlinearity, a property required for the digital on/off two-state switching and memory."
http://www.techatron.net/2012/07/eu-probing-alleged-cartel-of-13-optical.html
It makes faster chips, lower power chips, can be used in hundreds of medical applications, bomb detectors, gas distilation, better solar cells, and can even fold laundry while doing the dishes. Personally, if they can just get it to do the last 2 I would be happy with it.
Hardly a complete list, but: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphene#Potential_applications
This is the only part of the story which is real.
As long as we continue to look at it, we will see the light of day with it...I hope.
Err Graphene was first isolated in 2004. Companies like Intel and IBM have about a 10 year research period before a technology is productized. So at minimum we're looking at 2014, but we likely won't see volume production until 2018+.
Because of problems that could ensue if they unleash this material in its full 'glory'. They first have to find a way to gimp it so that they can introduce planned obsolescence into the material - which in the long run generates profits (this is how things operate right now).
And forget about getting tens of times more powerful/efficient computers... they will intentionally just raise the bar low from current technology so again more profits could be generated by forcing you to buy 'the latest and the greatest' 12 to 24 months after the first device.
Its pathetic really, we could have used synthetic diamond chips in electronics since 1997, and graphene since at least 2006...
Money is driving us down to a halt because efficiency is the enemy of profits (if they gave us a product that is the apex of our technological capabilities with highest efficiency in mind and best materials available... it would KILL profits... - nevertheless, designing such a high tech device which is also recycable and fully upgradable btw, and durable, is more than possible - just don't expect to see it Capitalism anytime soon).
Exactly the reason why the USA invented Thorium reactors at Oak Ridge in the 1950's, but then went the Uranium route - firstly it generates ingredients for nuclear weapons, but secondly it creates a whole industry based on the supply of new fuel rods - if they had gone the Thorium route the world would be awash with unlimited clean, free electricity
...
Just a shame that India and China don't have these hangs ups pandering to the supply contracts of GE, so they are running away with Thorium power station research