(Page 2 of 2)
Graphene nanoresonators could make very sensitive chemical detectors or accelerometers. The suspended graphene films respond dramatically when any weight is added—even just a molecule or an atom. "It couples very strongly to the outside world," which makes for a good sensor, says McEuen.
Rod Ruoff, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, who pioneered the graphene growth-and-transfer technique used by the Cornell group, says this work demonstrates that this type of graphene performs well in nanomechanical systems. But Ruoff says he sees room for improvement in the performance of the resonators.
The Cornell researchers are now working to push the graphene resonators to their ultimate performance limits. The crystalline structure of graphene, which determines its strength and electrical conductivity, is not perfect in the Cornell devices made so far.
The researchers also hope to take advantage of quantum effects that occur at the nanoscale. This could improve their sensitivity, McEuen says.
Two-dimensional sheets of molybdenite can do things that silicon and graphene can't.
A single graphene transistor that does the job of many conventional ones could lead to compact chips for cell phones.
A heated AFM tip can draw nanometers-wide conductive lines on graphene oxide.
Voltage is the difference of electrical potential between two points of an electrical or electronic circuit, expressed in volts. It measures the potential energy of an electric field to cause an electric current in an electrical conductor.
Most measurement devices can measure voltage. Two common voltage measurements are direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC).
Learn the fundamentals of creating an AC or DC voltage measurement system. See how to properly connect the signals to your data acquisition system for accurate acquisition.
This document is part of the How-To Guide for Most Common Measurements centralized resource portal.
View full PDF >
Listen to story > 
On Twitter
Become a Fan on Facebook
Subscribe to the Feed