University of Manchester professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov, who won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work with graphene, write in the journal Nature Communications of a method of combining the carbon-based material with metallic nanostructures to use as photodetectors that could greatly increase the amount of light optical communications devices could handle. This advance in graphene light harvesting and conversion into electrical power could lead to communications rates tens or even hundreds of times faster than today’s, the researchers say.

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Novoselov said in  "The technology of graphene production matures day-by-day, which has an immediate impact both on the type of exciting physics which we find in this material, and on the feasibility and the range of possible applications… Many leading electronics companies consider graphene for the next generation of devices. This work certainly boosts graphene's chances even further."

University of Cambridge researchers teamed with the University of Manchester researchers on the graphene work.

Leading tech vendors including IBM have been investing heavily in graphene-based technologies. to build the first graphene-based integrated circuit, which some day could lead to improved wireless devices and less-expensive displays. Earlier in the year, IBM demonstrated a 155-GHz graphene transistor, its fastest yet.