GPU-Based Data Processing for 2-D Microwave Imaging on MAST

The Synthetic Aperture Microwave Imaging (SAMI) diagnostic is a Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) diagnostic based at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy. The acceleration of the SAMI diagnostic data-processing code by a graphics processing unit is presented, demonstrating acceleration of up to 60 times compared to the original IDL (Interactive Data Language) data-processing code. SAMI will now be capable of intershot processing allowing pseudo-real-time control so that adjustments and optimizations can be made between shots. Additionally, for the first time the analysis of many shots will be possible

Role of Textured Silicon Surface in Plasmonic Light Trapping for Solar Cells: The Effect of Pyramids Width and Height

Silicon solar cells with different front texturization are used for understanding pyramidal size influence on plasmonic light trapping. Cells with different pyramidal heights and widths have shown strong light back scattering in the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) region and minimal light forward scattering in the off-resonance region of silver nanoparticles (NPs). On the other hand, cell surface with similar pyramidal heights and widths has shown reduced back scattering in the SPR region, as well as enhanced light forward scattering in the off-resonance region of NPs with good optical impedance matching. The reason for these types of light interaction with NPs (nanoscale) and textured silicon (micrometer-scale) is explained, and plasmonic textured silicon solar cell performance with different pyramidal sizes using quantum efficiency measurements is verified

Internal quantum efficiency analysis of plasmonic textured silicon solar cells: surface plasmon resonance and off-resonance effects

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) of various sizes and concentration were integrated on textured silicon solar cells for further confinement of incident light, generated photocurrent modifications were investigated using spectrally resolved short-circuit current measurements. Internal quantum efficiency (IQE) spectra were used for quantifying the effective minority carrier diffusion lengths (Le(ff)) of plasmonic cells in the long wavelength region (850 < lambda < 1020 nm). The L-eff of an optimized plasmonic solar cell enhanced to 431 mu m compared to 338 mu m of the bare cell, which is due to interacting Ag NPs' scattered fields, leading to enhanced light absorption in the plasmonic cell. Despite the enhanced L-eff values, the overall generated photocurrent reduced with Ag NPs which is due to the significant losses near the surface plasmon resonant region. Reduced IQE of plasmonic cells near and below the surface plasmon resonant region is due to size-dependent parasitic absorption and enhanced back scattering of Ag NPs, and a modified surface recombination process due to Ag NPs' strong near-fields