FEATURE MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS


GRAPHENE IS THE FUTURE OF PHONES


Developments in graphene, the two-dimensional material made of carbon atoms, are driving exiting hardware and software innovations in smartphones. Here, Kari Hjelt, head of innovation at the Graphene Flagship, explains how, thanks to graphene-based technologies, phones could become faster and better-connected, with longer battery lives


E


ver since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone and transformed the industry


forever, consumers worldwide are left continually wondering what the next big innovation in smartphones will be. Material science is very important in developing new generations of phones. Developments in high-tech glass, for instance, have allowed for curved screens. Another example are ceramics-based materials, such as piezoceramics, which are used in small high-quality phone speakers. Graphene is the next frontier in this


development. Although it’s a million times thinner than a human hair, graphene is harder than a diamond and conducts electricity more effectively than copper. Because of its unique properties,


graphene is about to step out of the field of material science, and into the spotlight of mobile phone technology. Leading this is the Graphene Flagship, an organisation dedicated to bringing together researchers on graphene, worldwide. Its aim is to take the developments in graphene from academic and industrial labs into the marketplace, to generate jobs and economic opportunities.


CONNECTIVITY Graphene could make phones of the future faster. Using graphene-based photonics, a spearhead project of the Graphene Flagship has developed a way to transmit data at speeds of up to 56 gigabits per second, which is much faster than Ethernet. This new data connection is faster, consumes less energy and results in fewer transmission errors than current 4G connections. This means the graphene phone has potential to use the full bandwidth of the 5G network, which is up to five-times faster than 4G. Another innovation is near-field


communication (NFC). With the NFC set of communication protocols, two electronic devices, like phones, can


30 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 | ELECTRONICS


However, graphene now has the potential to change the hardware of phones, significantly. This is due, in part, to the material’s


flexibility that will help to make foldable phones more widespread. Another could be making phones smaller, while their screens could become even bigger. Moreover, these screens could be made force sensitive, which means they respond to lightness of touch. In essence, the graphene phone would respond to an angry tap differently than to a soft one, and there’s even scope for phones to learn to respond to individual touch. Other possible innovations concern


battery life and management. Poor battery life is not only the bane of every phone user’s existence, but was also at the centre of the recent so-called “batterygate” scandal in the US, when Apple tentatively agreed to a $500 million settlement after admitting to slowing-down older phones to improve battery performance. Members of the Graphene Flagship have


exchange data such as pictures at a short range of 4cm (1.5 inches) or less. The Graphene Flagship’s radio frequency


identification (RFID) Spearhead Project has created a platform for the production of printed RFID sensors. RFID sensors are commonly used in retail, hospitals and education institutions and can recognise strain, humidity or light and communicate this data to a reader or, potentially, a phone through NFC. The low-cost and ease-of-use benefits of printing these sensors have yet to be fully realised, due to the limited quality and performance of today's printed components. However, RFID sensors printed from graphene could offer a different story, and unlock potential for further innovations like wearable devices. While large touchscreens on phones are


now ubiquitous, the hardware has not evolved as much as the software.


developed a rechargeable battery on the basis of lithium-oxygen, which theoretically has ten times the energy density than existing lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, phones could extend, or even get rid of the planned obsolescence of the batteries that has hitherto been built into their life cycle. Just as Steve Jobs changed mobile


phones forever, perhaps graphene technologies could likewise revolutionise the hardware and software of mobile phones. Graphene – and other related layered materials – not only has the potential to make mobile phones faster, lighter, and even smarter, our devices could also be better-connected as a result. Perhaps, one day, phones won’t only be synonymous with iPhones, but with graphene, too.


Graphene Flagship graphene-flagship.eu


/ ELECTRONICS


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46