The World’s Thinnest Material
Graphene, a two-dimensional layer of carbon atoms, is characterized by a number of unique electronic, optical and mechanical properties. It is highly flexible while being mechanically extremely stable. Optically transparent, it is capable of conducting electric current better than any other material.
Graphene has great potential to be used for highly sensitive magnetic field sensors or for applications in high-frequency technology and optoelectronics. As Professor Christoph Stampfer from the RWTH Department of Experimental Physics (Solid State Physics) explains, using graphene, the production of flexible, bendable displays would no longer be a problem.
The newly established Aachen Graphene & 2D Materials Center, a joint research center between RWTH and AMO GmbH, brings together the activities of several working groups in the areas of physics, materials science, and electrical engineering. Founding members are RWTH professors Christoph Stampfer, Max Lemme, Markus Morgenstern, and Renato Negra, as well as Dr. Daniel Neumaier from AMO. AMO, the Society for Applied Micro- and Optoelectronics, has expertise in nanofabrication and measuring technology.
The Aachen Graphene & 2D Materials Center seeks to facilitate the quick transfer from fundamental research into applications. As Christoph Stampfer, the spokesperson for the Center, emphasizes, “we want to develop processes for the production of synthetically grown, high-quality graphene. This would be an important step in bringing graphene-based applications to market.”
The Center also investigates 2-dimensional materials other than graphene and corresponding heterostructures. The focus is on materials aspects in areas such as high-frequency electronics, flexible electronics, energy-efficient sensing, photonics as well as spintronics and valleytronics. Professor Stampfer is positive that “the Center will take on a leading role within Europe.”
Source: Press and Communications