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We report on the fabrication and optical simulation of a plasmonic light-trapping concept for microcrystalline silicon solar cells, consisting of silver nanostructures arranged in square lattice at the ZnO:Al/Ag back contact of the solar cell. Those solar cells deposited on this plasmonic reflection grating back contact showed an enhanced spectral response in the wavelengths range from 500 nm to 1000 nm, when comparing to flat solar cells. For a particular period, even an enhancement of the short circuit current density in comparison to the conventional random texture light-trapping concept is obtained. Full three-dimensional electromagnetic simulations are used to explain the working principle of the plasmonic light-trapping concept.

Bloch surface wave (BSW) sensors to be used in biochemical analytics are discussed in angularly resolved detection mode and are compared to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors. BSW supported at the surface of a dielectric thin film stack feature many degrees of design freedom that enable tuning of resonance properties. In order to obtain a figure of merit for such optimization, the measurement uncertainty depending on resonance width and depth is deduced from different numerical models. This yields a limit of detection which depends on the sensor's free measurement range and which is compared to a figure of merit derived previously. Stack design is illustrated for a BSW supporting thin film stack and is compared to the performance of a gold thin film for SPR sensing. Maximum sensitivity is obtained for a variety of stacks with the resonance positioned slightly above the TIR critical angle. Very narrow resonance widths of BSW sensors require sufficient sampling but are also associated with long surface wave propagation lengths as the limiting parameter for the performance of this kind of sensors.

COMMUNICATIONS materials causes the condensation of the silicate layers, giving the zeolite structures MCM-22 and ferrierite. Similar behavior can also be expected for RUB-15, since the silicate layer terminated with silanol groups should be the perfect subunit for the formation of the silica framework of the zeolite sodalite. Experimental ProcedureRUB-15 crystallized from a reaction mixture with the following composition: SiO,:TMAOH:H,O = 1.00:0.75:55.52 The solution was filled in Teflon-lined autoclaves (60% filling factor) and kept in an oven at a temperature between 120 and 140 C for about four weeks. The reaction product was filtered, washed with distilled water. dried at 80 c. and subsequently identified by X-ray powder diffraction.