Sunday, December 26, 2010

Very cool device

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/26194 or
http://arxiv.org/abs/1012.4415

This is a new nanoscale device that can detect RF.  You put in a bias current between D and S, it goes through the graphene (sheet of 1 atom thick carbon).  The graphene sheet resonates mechanically at an RF frequency (33 MHz in the reported device) when a signal is coupled in capacitively from the gate.  The vibration induces a signal on top of the D-S current.  The device works at 77 K (liquid nitrogen temperature), but hopefully can be developed for room temperature operation.

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