Physical sciences, Earth sciences

Integrating graphene sheets into silicon photonics could form the basis for next-generation data communications. Researchers from the Graphene Flagship initiative have pushed the technology closer to application by demonstrating the world’s first high-speed graphene-based data communication at a data rate of 50 Gb/s.

Graphene Flagship researchers produced graphene-based spintronics devices that utilise both electron charge and spin at room temperature. Demonstrating the spin’s feasibility for bridging distances of up to several micrometres, results open up new possibilities for integrating information-processing and storage in a single chip.

The world''s first two-dimensional material, graphene, possesses unique and outstanding properties. A major EU-funded initiative has developed the material and its application in a myriad of new technologies.

Graphene’s unique combination of properties paves the way for a wide variety of applications, from energy and electronics to biomedical devices and aircraft. To meet these increasing demands, researchers have to scale up graphene production to industrial scale.

In an ingenious set of experiments, European teams have tested graphene under microgravity conditions for the first time. The exciting results provide a valuable foundation for developing graphene devices for use in space.