Take advantage of microwave microscopy, researchers were able to
locate graphene islands on graphene. “Point defects” locally
enhanced the graphene’s ability to transform waves of light into
electronic signals. | Photo courtesy of Oak Ridge National
Laboratory. Sometimes, what seems like defects can make
surprisingly positive differences. What’s true for humankind may
be true for molecules too, based on recent research out of the
Office of Science’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). A team
of researchers led by ORNL’s Juan-Carlos Idrobo studied
intrinsic defects in graphene, a flat material of rising
potential. Graphene consists of pure sheets of carbon atoms,
arrayed in hexagonal, chicken-wire like rows. It’s stronger than
steel and more electrically conductive than copper. The ultra-
thin sheets have incredible possibilities, which researchers
supported by the Energy Department’s Office of Science are
striving to work into new applications. Specifically, the
scientists studied point defects on the graphe