Graphene photodetectors may support data transfer rates of 30Gbyte/s
Researchers at the Photonics Institute at the Technical University of Vienna have demonstrated the speed at which graphene can convert light pulses into electrical signals.
"Light detectors which convert light into electronic signals have been around for a long time. But when they are made of graphene, they react faster than most other materials", claimed researcher Alexander Urich.
The researchers showed last year that graphene can convert light into electronic signals, but the reaction time of the material could not be determined. According to the team, the photoelectric effect in graphene is so fast that it cannot be measured by the usual measuring methods.
But by firing laser pulses in quick succession at the photodetector, and measuring the resulting photocurrent, the team believes graphene photodetectors can be used at frequencies of up to 262GHz. This is said to correspond to a data transfer rates in excess of 30Gbyte/s.
The next step is for the researchers to determine whether this is technically feasible.
