Graphene has once again shown itself to be a promising material for photonics applications because it can emit infrared light when excited with very short (35 femtosecond) laser pulses. This is the conclusion of researchers at Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University in the US who have demonstrated two important properties in the wonder material – population inversion of electrons and optical gain. The findings confirm that graphene could be used to make a variety of optoelectronics devices, including broadband optical amplifiers, high-speed modulators, and absorbers for telecommunications and ultrafast lasers, despite the fact that it does not have an electronic bandgap.
http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/49391