Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have reported findings that could lead to microchips that operate at much higher speeds than is possible with today’s silicon chips. This innovation could lead to cell phones and communication systems that would transmit data much more rapidly. The key to the superfast chips is the use of a material called graphene, a form of pure carbon that was first identified in 2004. MIT researchers built an experimental graphene chip known as a frequency multiplexer—i.e., it can take an incoming electrical signal of a certain frequency and can then produce an output signal that is a multiple of that frequency. The MIT graphene chip can double the frequency of an electromagnetic signal. Although it is very difficult to generate high frequencies above four or five GHz, researchers hope that the new graphene chip could lead to practical systems in the 500- to 1000 GHz range.Learn more at the MIT website.
Doubling EM Signal Speed
