Shrestha Basu Mallick

We demonstrate that Google TPUs, novel computer chips optimized for artificial intelligence, can also efficiently perform scientific computation at massive scale. The concrete examples of matrix multiplication, QR factorization, linear solution, and application of matrix functions are benchmarked upon matrices of linear size up to 𝑁=1,048,576, achieving throughput around 90% of the single-core value at the largest values of N considered. We believe TPUs and TPU-like architectures will soon… Show more

We demonstrate that Google TPUs, novel computer chips optimized for artificial intelligence, can also efficiently perform scientific computation at massive scale. The concrete examples of matrix multiplication, QR factorization, linear solution, and application of matrix functions are benchmarked upon matrices of linear size up to 𝑁=1,048,576, achieving throughput around 90% of the single-core value at the largest values of N considered. We believe TPUs and TPU-like architectures will soon play a role in scientific computation analogous to the GPU but at larger scale, and mean for this study to catalyze the process. Show less

Photonic crystals (PCs) can be used to trap light in thin-film solar cells to increase optical absorption. We fabricated ultrathin c-Si solar cells whose active layer was patterned into a two-dimensional PC with a square lattice of 450 nm diameter holes spaced at a period of 750 nm. The PC couples incident light into quasiguided modes and can be engineered to increase coupling and thus optimize optical absorption. Both short-circuit current and external quantum… Show more

Photonic crystals (PCs) can be used to trap light in thin-film solar cells to increase optical absorption. We fabricated ultrathin c-Si solar cells whose active layer was patterned into a two-dimensional PC with a square lattice of 450 nm diameter holes spaced at a period of 750 nm. The PC couples incident light into quasiguided modes and can be engineered to increase coupling and thus optimize optical absorption. Both short-circuit current and external quantum efficiency measurements show an enhancement in optical absorption, especially at longer wavelengths. Scanning photocurrent maps confirm the improved optical absorption in the PC regions. Show less

Thin-film photovoltaic technologies have an enormous potential to reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, because thin photoactive layers are used, optical absorption is incomplete unless light-trapping strategies are employed. Since conventional light-trapping approaches based on geometric scattering are less effective in thin-film cells, coherent light-trapping approaches that exploit the wave nature of light are being explored to enhance optical absorption. In this article, we look at… Show more

Thin-film photovoltaic technologies have an enormous potential to reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, because thin photoactive layers are used, optical absorption is incomplete unless light-trapping strategies are employed. Since conventional light-trapping approaches based on geometric scattering are less effective in thin-film cells, coherent light-trapping approaches that exploit the wave nature of light are being explored to enhance optical absorption. In this article, we look at the various strategies for coherent light trapping in thin-film solar cells, including photonic crystals, metal nanostructures, and multilayer stacks. The suitability of a particular strategy depends on factors such as configuration of the solar cell, process compatibility, cost, desired angular response, and materials usage. We also discuss the physical limits of light trapping in thin films. Show less

Crystalline silicon is an attractive photovoltaic material because of its natural abundance, accumulated materials and process knowledge, and its appropriate band gap. To reduce cost, thin films of crystalline silicon can be used. This reduces the amount of material needed and allows material with shorter carrier diffusion lengths to be used. However, the indirect band gap of silicon requires that a light trapping approach be used to maximize optical absorption. Here, a photonic crystal (PC)… Show more

Crystalline silicon is an attractive photovoltaic material because of its natural abundance, accumulated materials and process knowledge, and its appropriate band gap. To reduce cost, thin films of crystalline silicon can be used. This reduces the amount of material needed and allows material with shorter carrier diffusion lengths to be used. However, the indirect band gap of silicon requires that a light trapping approach be used to maximize optical absorption. Here, a photonic crystal (PC) based approach is used to maximize solar light harvesting in a 400 nm-thick silicon layer by tuning the coupling strength of incident radiation to quasiguided modes over a broad spectral range. The structure consists of a double layer PC with the upper layer having holes which have a smaller radius compared to the holes in the lower layer. We show that the spectrally averaged fraction of photons absorbed is increased 8-fold compared to a planar cell with equivalent volume of active material. This results in an enhancement of maximum achievable photocurrent density from 7.1 mA/cm2 for an unstructured film to 21.8 mA/cm2 for a film structured as the double layer photonic crystal. This photocurrent density value approaches the limit of 26.5 mA/cm2, obtained using the Yablonovitch light trapping limit for the same volume of active material. Show less

In this paper, we introduce a single-axis resonant combdrive microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) scanner with a large-area highly reflective broadband monolithic single-crystal-silicon (SCS) photonic crystal (PC) mirror. PC mirrors can be made from a single monolithic piece of silicon through alternate steps of etching and oxidation. This process allows the fabrication of a stress-free PC reflector in SCS with better optical flatness than deposited films such as polysilicon slabs on low-index… Show more

In this paper, we introduce a single-axis resonant combdrive microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) scanner with a large-area highly reflective broadband monolithic single-crystal-silicon (SCS) photonic crystal (PC) mirror. PC mirrors can be made from a single monolithic piece of silicon through alternate steps of etching and oxidation. This process allows the fabrication of a stress-free PC reflector in SCS with better optical flatness than deposited films such as polysilicon slabs on low-index oxide. PC mirrors can be made in IR transparent dielectric material and can achieve high reflectivity over a broad wavelength range. PC reflectors have several advantages over other mirror technologies. They can tolerate much higher processing temperatures and higher incident optical powers as well as operate in more corrosive environments than metals. Compared to multilayer dielectric stacks, PC mirrors allow for simpler process integration, thus making them highly compatible with CMOS and MEMS processing. In this paper, we fabricate a PC mirror MEMS scanner in SCS without any deposited films. Our PC mirrors show broadband high reflectivity in the wavelength range from 1550 to 1600 nm, and very low angular and polarization dependence over this same range. The single-axis MEMS scanners are fabricated on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers with the PC mirrors also fabricated in the SOI device layer. The scanners are actuated by electrostatic comb drives on resonance. Dynamic deflection measurements show that the scanners achieve 22deg total scan angle with an input square wave of 67 V and have a resonance frequency of 2.13 kHz Show less

Bruch’s membrane is a layer composed of collagen fibers located just beneath the retina. This study validates a strategy used to map the morphological and adhesion characteristics of collagen fibers in Bruch’s membrane. Atomic force microscopy tips were functionalized with different chemical groups and used to map the hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions on the surface of the eye tissue. The largest adhesion forces were observed when tips functionalized with NH2 groups were used. The trend in… Show more

Bruch’s membrane is a layer composed of collagen fibers located just beneath the retina. This study validates a strategy used to map the morphological and adhesion characteristics of collagen fibers in Bruch’s membrane. Atomic force microscopy tips were functionalized with different chemical groups and used to map the hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions on the surface of the eye tissue. The largest adhesion forces were observed when tips functionalized with NH2 groups were used. The trend in the adhesion forces was rationalized based on the distribution of different functional groups in the triple-helical structure of the collagen fibers. The results of this study can be used to design more effective strategies to treat eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. Show less

The Bruch's membrane is located beneath the retina in vertebrate eyes. We have used atomic force microscopy to examine the morphological and adhesion properties of collagen fibers located in different portions of the membrane. The D-periodicity of the fibers was 62.54 ± 4.25 nm and 63.78 ± 4.14 nm for regions away from the optic nerve and close to it, respectively. The adhesion properties of the collagen fibers were evaluated using force volume imaging on a number of different eye samples. The… Show more

The Bruch's membrane is located beneath the retina in vertebrate eyes. We have used atomic force microscopy to examine the morphological and adhesion properties of collagen fibers located in different portions of the membrane. The D-periodicity of the fibers was 62.54 ± 4.25 nm and 63.78 ± 4.14 nm for regions away from the optic nerve and close to it, respectively. The adhesion properties of the collagen fibers were evaluated using force volume imaging on a number of different eye samples. The adhesion force we recorded in regions away from the optic nerve was different compared to regions close to the optic nerve. The reported results allow us to understand the nanoscopic properties of connective tissues in the eye and are important for the design of new and improved biomaterials Show less

We study the discrete Gierer–Meinhardt model of reaction–diffusion on three different types of networks: regular, random and scale-free. The model dynamics lead to the formation of stationary Turing patterns in the steady state in certain parameter regions. Some general features of the patterns are studied through numerical simulation. The results for the random and scale-free networks show a marked difference from those in the case of the regular network. The difference may be ascribed to the… Show more

We study the discrete Gierer–Meinhardt model of reaction–diffusion on three different types of networks: regular, random and scale-free. The model dynamics lead to the formation of stationary Turing patterns in the steady state in certain parameter regions. Some general features of the patterns are studied through numerical simulation. The results for the random and scale-free networks show a marked difference from those in the case of the regular network. The difference may be ascribed to the small world character of the first two types of networks.


Show less

Double-layered, self-aligned, silicon photonic crystals are fabricated using directional and isotropic etches - a potential step towards 3D PCs. One structure shows sharper resonances compared to corresponding single layer structure. Another shows high, broadband reflectivity.