An article titled, “Tuning laser-induced band gaps in graphene,” proposes a technique suggested by researchers from Germany’s RWTH Aachen University, Barcelona’s Institut Catala de Nanotecnologia, Argentina’s CONICET and the National University of Córdoba to control the electron flow using an on-off laser by turning graphene into a semiconductor.
Graphene illuminated using laser field
In graphene, although the carbon atoms layer only have the thickness of one atom, they are 200x stronger than steel. The material conducts heat and electricity better than other materials known to man. The density of the material though transparent does not permit even helium atoms to penetrate it. The only missing link to use this material as a semiconductor was the lack of the “band gap” property, which allows for electron-flow control. The paper illustrates that a mid-infrared laser could be used to create an observable band gap in a micrometer-sized sample of graphene illuminated by laser. This switches off the conduction properties of the material.
A scientist leading this collaboration, Luis Foa Torres stated that the switching off of the conduction properties will help to transduce optical signals into electric signals.