New properties of graphene could have applications in high-speed communication fields

Graphene has caused a lot of excitement among scientists since its discovery in 2004. Just one atom thick, the famed material has several remarkable properties. It combines mechanical toughness with superior electrical and thermal conductivity. Now a group of scientists at Iowa State University has shown that graphene has two other properties: population inversion of electrons and broadband optical gain. They could have applications in high-speed telecommunications devices and laser technology. The researchers immediately discovered a new photo-excited graphene state characterized by a broadband population inversion population inversion of electrons. The team hypothesized they could generate a new "very unconventional state" of graphene resulting in population inversion and optical gain.