Lasers could produce much sought-after band gaps in graphene
Monday, June 20, 2011 - 08:00
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the most often-cited features of graphene the two-dimensional crystal lattice made of carbon is its unique electronic properties. Many of these electronic properties make graphene attractive as a material for carbon-based electronics. But also among these properties is that graphene is a gapless semiconductor. As physicist Luis Foa Torres explains, the fact that graphene does not have a band gap is its Achilles heel, which makes it difficult to be incorporated into electronic devices.