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| Konstantin Novoselov (left) and Andre Geim Photo: PA |
Two University of Manchester scientists, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, have won the Nobel Prize for Physics in recognition of their "groundbreaking experiments" with graphene, a two dimensional material.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences regognised Novoselov, who has joint British and Russian citizenship, and Dutch national Geim, for their work which could revolutionise the field of electronics.
Experiments with graphene, which is just one carbon atom thick, could lead to the development of new material and "the manufacture of innovative electronics," the citation said.
"Since it is practically transparent and a good conductor, graphene is suitable for producing transparent touch screens, light panels and maybe even solar cells," the academy said.
Geim, 51, and Novoselov, 36, were both born in Russia and started their careers in physics there.
The pair extracted the super-thin material from a piece of graphite such as that found in ordinary pencils, using adhesive tape to obtain a flake that was only one atom thick.
"Playfulness is one of their hallmarks, one always learns something in the process and, who knows, you may even hit the jackpot," the Nobel committee said.
The academy said that graphene offered physicists the ability to study two-dimensional materials with unique properties and made possible experiments that can give new twists to the phenomena in quantum physics.
"Also a vast variety of practical applications now appear possible including the creation of new materials and the manufacture of innovative electronics," it said.
Mentioning a few possible applications, the academy said graphene transistors were expected to become much faster than today's silicon ones and yield more efficient computers.
The prize of 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.5 million), awarded by the Nobel Committee for Physics at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, was the second of this year's Nobel prizes.