It sounds like something from a futuristic science fiction film, but scientists have created a new 'wonder material' that has much of the scientific world astir.
Imagine this: a sheet about the size of a football field - but weighing only a few grams in total. Yes, a few grams. Now imagine that the sheet is only one atom thick, yet it is stronger than diamonds.
Now it does indeed start to sound like something from a science fiction movie. There is one more attribute to this material that we have no yet mentioned - it has the ability to conduct electricity approximately 100 times faster than current silicon chips used in computers. Yes, 100 times faster.
So let's recap - the thinnest known material in the universe, stronger than any diamond, able to conduct electricity at super fast speeds, weighing almost nothing. That is what this material is. So what is this new material that has the entire scientific world abuzz?
Called 'Graphene', the material was first discovered in 2004, but new research being done in recent months could open up a whole new world of applications for the material. Currently, quite a bit of research is being done to determine the eficiency of this technology in computers and other electronic devices. This would mean that microchips would be able to operate at much higher speeds than today's standard silicon chips.
In order to make electronic devices faster, the frequency it needs to work at, needs be higher in order for it to be faster. Currently, scientists find it difficult to generate frequencies above 4 or 5 gigahertz. This new wonder material called Graphene will make ranges of 500 to 1000 gigahertz possible.
Although the technology is still in the early stages of development, it is believed that it may become a commercially viable product within two years.
