Two scientists have shared this year's Nobel Prize for Physics for their "groundbreaking" work on a material with amazing properties.

Andrei Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, both at Manchester University, UK, took the prize for research on graphene.

Graphene is a flat sheet of carbon just one atom thick; it is almost completely transparent, but also extremely strong and a good conductor of electricity.

Its unique properties mean it could have a wide array of practical uses.

"I'm fine, I slept well. I didn't expect the Nobel Prize this year," said Dr Geim.

The Nobels are valued at 10m Swedish Kronor (£900,000; 1m euros; $1.5m).

Dr Geim said his plans for the day would not change - he said he would go back to work and carry on with his research papers.

He added that he would "muddle on as before".

Graphene is a form of carbon. It is a flat layer of carbon atoms tightly packed into a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice.

Because it is so thin, it is also practically transparent. It is also a good conductor of electricity and heat.

These properties make it particularly suitable for manufacturing transparent touch screens, light panels, and maybe even solar cells.

The prizes also cover chemistry, medicine, literature, peace and economics (more properly called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize).

Laureates also receive a medal and a diploma.

Source : bbc.co.uk