The secrets of graphene

A team of physicists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has measured a giant optical phenomenon in graphene. This material, the discovery of which was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics, consists of a single layer of carbon atoms. Its exceptional properties are at the heart of global research in disciplines as diverse as engineering, biology and chemistry, with great potential for future applications. Now, contrary to all expectations, researchers have just observed a rotation of light of very great amplitude at the heart of graphene, a rotation that makes this material usable in new optical applications. In the race to miniaturize and nano-fabricate electronic components, graphene's potential is equal to the challenges posed by new technologies. Thanks to its extraordinary physical and chemical properties, the world's thinnest material possesses some surprising properties. The most exceptional of these is the fact that, in graphene, the electrons that generate the electric current have a much higher speed than in a conventional material, making faster electronics a real possibility.