9,248 research outputs found
Antireflective nanotextures for monolithic perovskite silicon tandem solar cells
Recently, we studied the effect of hexagonal sinusoidal textures on the reflective properties of perovskite silicon tandem solar cells using the finite element method FEM . We saw that such nanotextures, applied to the perovskite top cell, can strongly increase the current density utilization from 91 for the optimized planar reference to 98 for the best nanotextured device period 500 nm and peak to valley height 500 nm , where 100 refers to the Tiedje Yablonovitch limit. [D. Chen et al., J. Photonics Energy 8, 022601, 2018 , doi 10.1117 1.JPE.8.022601] In this manuscript we elaborate on some numerical details of that work we validate an assumption based on the Tiedje Yablonovitch limit, we present a convergence study for simulations with the finite element method, and we compare different configurations for sinusoidal nanotexture
Magnetic properties of single-crystalline CeCuGa3
The magnetic behavior of single-crystalline CeCuGa3 has been investigated.
The compound forms in a tetragonal BaAl4-type structure consisting of
rare-earth planes separated by Cu-Ga layers. If the Cu-Ga site disorder is
reduced, CeCuGa3 adopts the related, likewise tetragonal BaNiSn3-type
structure, in which the Ce ion are surrounded by different Cu and Ga layers and
the inversion symmetry is lost. In the literature conflicting reports about the
magnetic order of CeCuGa3 have been published. Single crystals with the
centrosymmetric structure variant exhibit ferromagnetic order below approx. 4 K
with a strong planar anisotropy. The magnetic behavior above the transition
temperature can be well understood by the crystal-field splitting of the 4f
Hund's rule ground-state multiplet of the Ce ions
Intermixed Time-Dependent Self-Focusing and Defocusing Nonlinearities in Polymer Solutions
[Image: see text] Low-power visible light can lead to spectacular nonlinear effects in soft-matter systems. The propagation of visible light through transparent solutions of certain polymers can experience either self-focusing or defocusing nonlinearity, depending on the solvent. We show how the self-focusing and defocusing responses can be captured by a nonlinear propagation model using local spatial and time-integrating responses. We realize a remarkable pattern formation in ternary solutions and model it assuming a linear combination of the self-focusing and defocusing nonlinearities in the constituent solvents. This versatile response of solutions to light irradiation may introduce a new approach for self-written waveguides and patterns
Time-resolved Neutron-gamma-ray Data Acquisition for in Situ Subsurface Planetary Geochemistry
The current gamma-ray/neutron instrumentation development effort at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center aims to extend the use of active pulsed neutron interrogation techniques to probe the subsurface elemental composition of planetary bodies in situ. Previous NASA planetary science missions, that used neutron and/or gamma-ray spectroscopy instruments, have relied on neutrons produced from galactic cosmic rays. One of the distinguishing features of this effort is the inclusion of a high intensity 14.1 MeV pulsed neutron generator synchronized with a custom data acquisition system to time each event relative to the pulse. With usually only one opportunity to collect data, it is difficult to set a priori time-gating windows to obtain the best possible results. Acquiring time-tagged, event-by-event data from nuclear induced reactions provides raw data sets containing channel/energy, and event time for each gamma ray or neutron detected. The resulting data set can be plotted as a function of time or energy using optimized analysis windows after the data are acquired. Time windows can now be chosen to produce energy spectra that yield the most statistically significant and accurate elemental composition results that can be derived from the complete data set. The advantages of post-processing gamma-ray time-tagged event-by-event data in experimental tests using our prototype instrument will be demonstrated
Teachers' emotional well-being during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic with long school closures: a large-scale cross-sectional survey in Northern Italy
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the magnitude of emotional burden on teaching staff during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in a significantly impacted region. In addition, the correlates of emotional burden were analysed to enable the design of targeted interventions. Study design: This study was a cross-sectional survey. Methods: An electronic survey was administered to the teaching staff at public schools and kindergartens in a specific geographical area. Cross-sectional assessments of pandemic-specific variables were performed using the Pandemic Fatigue Scale, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-21, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Resilient Coping Scale. DASS-21 results were compared with results from a parallel survey that was representative of the local general population. Results: In total, 3251 teaching staff members participated in the survey. Teachers showed a higher emotional burden for depression, anxiety and stress than the general population during the pandemic. According to a linear regression model, this burden is correlated with the language in which the questionnaires were answered, mistrust towards institutions, specific SARS-CoV-2 anxiety, past infection with SARS-CoV-2, avoidance of information about the pandemic and pandemic fatigue; emotional burden was negatively correlated with measures for life satisfaction, resilience and team atmosphere. Some independent variables were shown to contribute differentially to the variance of depression, anxiety or stress. Conclusions: Emotional distress during the pandemic among teachers is higher than in the general population and correlates with variables that could, at least in principle, be targeted for specific interventions
First Physics Results at the Physical Pion Mass from Wilson Twisted Mass Fermions at Maximal Twist
We present physics results from simulations of QCD using dynamical
Wilson twisted mass fermions at the physical value of the pion mass. These
simulations were enabled by the addition of the clover term to the twisted mass
quark action. We show evidence that compared to previous simulations without
this term, the pion mass splitting due to isospin breaking is almost completely
eliminated. Using this new action, we compute the masses and decay constants of
pseudoscalar mesons involving the dynamical up and down as well as valence
strange and charm quarks at one value of the lattice spacing,
fm. Further, we determine renormalized quark masses as well as their
scale-independent ratios, in excellent agreement with other lattice
determinations in the continuum limit. In the baryon sector, we show that the
nucleon mass is compatible with its physical value and that the masses of the
baryons do not show any sign of isospin breaking. Finally, we compute
the electron, muon and tau lepton anomalous magnetic moments and show the
results to be consistent with extrapolations of older ETMC data to the
continuum and physical pion mass limits. We mostly find remarkably good
agreement with phenomenology, even though we cannot take the continuum and
thermodynamic limits.Comment: 45 pages, 15 figure
Atomic Bose-Fermi mixtures in an optical lattice
A mixture of ultracold bosons and fermions placed in an optical lattice
constitutes a novel kind of quantum gas, and leads to phenomena, which so far
have been discussed neither in atomic physics, nor in condensed matter physics.
We discuss the phase diagram at low temperatures, and in the limit of strong
atom-atom interactions, and predict the existence of quantum phases that
involve pairing of fermions with one or more bosons, or, respectively, bosonic
holes. The resulting composite fermions may form, depending on the system
parameters, a normal Fermi liquid, a density wave, a superfluid liquid, or an
insulator with fermionic domains. We discuss the feasibility for observing such
phases in current experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 1 eps figure, misprints correcte
Coherent Evolution of Bouncing Bose-Einstein Condensates
We investigate the evolution of Bose-Einstein condensates falling under
gravity and bouncing off a mirror formed by a far-detuned sheet of light. After
reflection, the atomic density profile develops splitting and interference
structures which depend on the drop height, on the strength of the light sheet,
as well as on the initial mean field energy and size of the condensate. We
compare experimental results with simulations of the Gross-Pitaevski equation.
A comparison with the behaviour of bouncing thermal clouds allows to identify
quantum features specific for condensates.Comment: 4 page
Optical simulations of advanced light management for liquid phase crystallized silicon thin film solar cells
Light management is a key issue for highly efficient liquid phase crystallized silicon LPC Si thin film solar cells and can be achieved with periodic nanotextures. They are fabricated with nanoimprint lithography and situated between the glass superstrate and the silicon absorber. To combine excellent optical performance and LPC Si material quality leading to open circuit voltages exceeding 640 mV, the nanotextures must be smooth. Optical simulations of these solar cells can be performed with the finite element method FEM . Accurately simulating the optics of such layer stacks requires not only to consider the nanotextured glass silicon interface, but also to adequately account for the air glass interface on top of this stack. When using rigorous Maxwell solvers like the finite element method FEM , the air glass interface has to be taken into account a posteriori, because the solar cells are prepared on thick glass superstrates, in which light is to be treated incoherently. In this contribution we discuss two different incoherent a posteriori corrections, which we test for nanotextures between glass and silicon. A comparison with experimental data reveals that a first order correction can predict the measured reflectivity of the samples much better than an often applied zeroth order correctio
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