Graphene can amplify light

Talking Points Memo : Graphene is 200 times as strong as steel, flexible, nearly transparent, and able to conduct electricity and heat. Now researchers at Iowa State University have found yet another amazing property: Graphene demonstrates optical gain. By using an ultrafast laser pulse to excite graphene’s electrons to higher-energy states, the researchers created a highly nonlinear state in which graphene transformed IR light into visible light. That property could lead to new small, fast, lightweight, energy-efficient, durable devices, including advanced telecommunications equipment, portable electronics, and photovoltaic cells.