Abstract: The invention discloses a apparatus and a method for rapid measurement of heat capacity of a thin film material. Specifically, the apparatus comprises a control device, a clock synchronizer, a flat peak laser device, a rapid thermometer and a heat capacity output device; the control device and the clock synchronizer are signally connected, and the clock synchronizer is signally connected to the flat peak laser device and the rapid thermometer; In the working state, the control device sends a start signal to the clock synchronizer, and the flat peak laser device and the fast thermometer coordinately cooperate; the flat peak laser device irradiates a laser with a spatially flat peak to the surface of the sample; At the same time, the rapid thermometer captures the surface temperature of the sample at a certain point in time during the heating process of the sample, and inputs the measured data into the heat capacity output device to obtain the desired heat capacity parameter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapid measurement and analysis of structure and composition of poly-crystal materials by X-ray diffraction and X-ray spectroscopy, which uses a two-dimensional energy dispersive area detector having an array of pixels, and a white spectrum X-ray beam source. A related data processing method includes separating X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy signals in the energy dispersive X-ray spectrum detected by each pixel of the two-dimensional energy dispersive detector; correcting the detected X-ray diffraction signals by a correction function; summing the corrected X-ray diffraction signals and X-ray spectroscopy signals, respectively, over all pixels to obtain an enhanced diffraction spectrum and an enhanced spectroscopy spectrum; using the enhanced diffraction and spectroscopy spectrum respectively to determine the structure and composition of the sample.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method and a apparatus for rapid measurement of thermal conductivity of a thin film material. The apparatus comprises a control device, a clock synchronizer, a laser, a rapid thermometer and a thermal conductivity output device; the control device and the clock synchronizer are signally connected, and the clock synchronizer is simultaneously signally connected with the laser and the rapid thermometer; in the working state, the control device sends a start signal to the clock synchronizer, and the laser and the rapid thermometer coordinately cooperate, and the laser emits laser light to the surface of the sample; at the same time, the rapid thermometer captures the surface temperature of the sample at the same specified position at different time points during the heating of the sample, and inputs the measured data into the thermal conductivity output device to obtain the thermal conductivity parameter. The apparatus of the invention has simple structure.

Abstract: A material transport property measurement system includes an ellipsometry system, a heat capacity measurement system, and a controller. The ellipsometry system has a light source to generate a light which passes through a polarizer and shines on a sample. The sample reflects the light to an integrated polarization analyzer, which includes multiple polarizers with different polarization angles distributed from 0 to 180 degrees. A detector assembly includes multiple detectors corresponding to the multiple polarizers to detect light passing through the respective polarizers and generate multiple first electrical signals. The heat capacity measurement system measures a temperature parameter of the sample using a non-contact method, and outputs a second electrical signal. The controller analyzes the second and the multiple first electrical signals to obtain the transport properties of the material. A material transport property measurement method is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapid measurement and analysis of structure and composition of poly-crystal materials by X-ray diffraction and X-ray spectroscopy, which uses a two-dimensional energy dispersive area detector having an array of pixels, and a white spectrum X-ray beam source. A related data processing method includes separating X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy signals in the energy dispersive X-ray spectrum detected by each pixel of the two-dimensional energy dispersive detector; correcting the detected X-ray diffraction signals by a correction function; summing the corrected X-ray diffraction signals and X-ray spectroscopy signals, respectively, over all pixels to obtain an enhanced diffraction spectrum and an enhanced spectroscopy spectrum; using the enhanced diffraction and spectroscopy spectrum respectively to determine the structure and composition of the sample.

Abstract: The invention discloses a apparatus and a method for rapid measurement of heat capacity of a thin film material. Specifically, the apparatus comprises a control device, a clock synchronizer, a flat peak laser device, a rapid thermometer and a heat capacity output device; the control device and the clock synchronizer are signally connected, and the clock synchronizer is signally connected to the flat peak laser device and the rapid thermometer; In the working state, the control device sends a start signal to the clock synchronizer, and the flat peak laser device and the fast thermometer coordinately cooperate; the flat peak laser device irradiates a laser with a spatially flat peak to the surface of the sample; At the same time, the rapid thermometer captures the surface temperature of the sample at a certain point in time during the heating process of the sample, and inputs the measured data into the heat capacity output device to obtain the desired heat capacity parameter.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method and a apparatus for rapid measurement of thermal conductivity of a thin film material. The apparatus comprises a control device, a clock synchronizer, a laser, a rapid thermometer and a thermal conductivity output device; the control device and the clock synchronizer are signally connected, and the clock synchronizer is simultaneously signally connected with the laser and the rapid thermometer; in the working state, the control device sends a start signal to the clock synchronizer, and the laser and the rapid thermometer coordinately cooperate, and the laser emits laser light to the surface of the sample; at the same time, the rapid thermometer captures the surface temperature of the sample at the same specified position at different time points during the heating of the sample, and inputs the measured data into the thermal conductivity output device to obtain the thermal conductivity parameter. The apparatus of the invention has simple structure.

Abstract: The embodiment of the invention discloses a micro-zone laser heating apparatus and method. The micro-zone laser heating apparatus comprises: a laser characteristic determination module, for obtaining first characteristic parameters of the laser required for heating based on the parameters of the current micro-zone to be heated of the sample; a controller, electrically connected to the laser characteristic determination module for generating a control signal based on the first characteristic parameters; a laser output module, electrically connected to the controller for outputting a laser based on the control signal to heat the sample micro-zone to be heated.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for rapid ellipsometry. The apparatus contains a light source, a polarizer, a sample stage, an integrated polarization analyzer, and a detector assembly. The light emitted by light source is polarized by the polarizer and shines on the sample mounted on sample stage. The light is reflected from the sample surface and passes through the integrated polarization analyzer. The analyzer contains multiple polarizers with different polarization angles from 0 to 180 degrees for transmitting light from the sample. The detector assembly includes multiple detectors corresponding one-to-one with the multiple polarizers, for independently determining the light intensity transmitted by each polarizer. The current invention provides a rapid ellipsometry apparatus that is highly efficient, with the fastest acquisition time down to nanosecond scale for obtaining dynamic parameters of the sample.

Abstract: A material transport property measurement system includes an ellipsometry system, a heat capacity measurement system, and a controller. The ellipsometry system has a light source to generate a light which passes through a polarizer and shines on a sample. The sample reflects the light to an integrated polarization analyzer, which includes multiple polarizers with different polarization angles distributed from 0 to 180 degrees. A detector assembly includes multiple detectors corresponding to the multiple polarizers to detect light passing through the respective polarizers and generate multiple first electrical signals. The heat capacity measurement system measures a temperature parameter of the sample using a non-contact method, and outputs a second electrical signal. The controller analyzes the second and the multiple first electrical signals to obtain the transport properties of the material. A material transport property measurement method is also provided.

Abstract: A fixed target solar thermal tower design is provided that utilizes a low number of collector modules (32, 172, 191), e.g. 5 to 30, mounted on solar-tracking mechanisms. The collector modules may be rotatable so as to reflect incident sunlight onto a target receiver (1200, 192) mounted on a tower (31, 171), and substantially all of the collector modules for a given tower may be located in a rectangular area that extends polewards from the tower by a distance of approximately three times the height h of the target receiver and that is approximately h wide. Each collector module may have a plurality of reflectors (42, 43, 194, 201, 202, 203) that are angled so as to reflect incident light generally towards a common point on the target receiver. Multiple such solar thermal tower plants may be collocated and ganged together to provide higher overall power output.

Abstract: A fixed target solar thermal tower design is provided that utilizes a low number of collector modules (32, 172, 191), e.g. 5 to 30, mounted on solar-tracking mechanisms. The collector modules may be rotatable so as to reflect incident sunlight onto a target receiver (1200, 192) mounted on a tower (31, 171), and substantially all of the collector modules for a given tower may be located in a rectangular area that extends polewards from the tower by a distance of approximately three times the height h of the target receiver and that is approximately h wide. Each collector module may have a plurality of reflectors (42, 43, 194, 201, 202, 203) that are angled so as to reflect incident light generally towards a common point on the target receiver. Multiple such solar thermal tower plants may be collocated and ganged together to provide higher overall power output.

Abstract: In certain embodiments an all vapor driven absorption heat pump is provided comprising a first heat pump generator comprising a falling film heat exchanger and configured to receive a high temperature vapor and a dilute working medium and to evaporate heat transport material from the dilute working medium; optionally, a second heat pump generator comprising a second falling film heat exchanger configured to receive concentrated working medium and output vapor produced in the first heat pump and to further evaporate the working medium and provide a mid-temperature vapor output and a concentrated working medium; and a heat pump absorber configured to receive a low temperature vapor and the concentrated working medium from the first heat pump generator when the second heat pump generator is absent and to receive said concentrated working medium from the second heat pump generator when the second heat pump generator is present.

Abstract: In various embodiments devices and methods are provided for an improved dry-cooling condensation system. In certain embodiments the methods involve receiving steam from a source of steam (e.g., a power plant); condensing the steam into water while transferring the latent heat of the steam into the latent heat of a thermal storage material; and dissipating the latent heat from the thermal storage material at a later time when the ambient temperature is lower than the ambient temperature at the time the steam was condensed into water.

Abstract: A system and method of collecting solar energy from sunlight, employing a thermal generation apparatus having a solar collector module including a receiver in optical communication with an array of mirrors. The method comprises reflecting energy impinging upon the reflector assembly with a plurality of reflective elements. The plurality of reflective elements is configured to direct energy reflected therefrom onto the receiver. The solar collector module is configured to rotate about an axis; and an angular position of the plurality of reflective elements is changed in relation to relative movement of the sun with respect to earth.

Abstract: A scanning evanescent microwave microscope (SEMM) that uses near-field evanescent electromagnetic waves to probe sample properties is disclosed. The SEMM is capable of high resolution imaging and quantitative measurements of the electrical properties of the sample. The SEMM has the ability to map dielectric constant, loss tangent, conductivity, electrical impedance, and other electrical parameters of materials. Such properties are then used to provide distance control over a wide range, from to microns to nanometers, over dielectric and conductive samples for a scanned evanescent microwave probe, which enable quantitative non-contact and submicron spatial resolution topographic and electrical impedance profiling of dielectric, nonlinear dielectric and conductive materials. The invention also allows quantitative estimation of microwave impedance using signals obtained by the scanned evanescent microwave probe and quasistatic approximation modeling.

Abstract: A method for producing a backside contact of a single p-n junction photovoltaic solar cell is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a p-type substrate having a back surface; providing a plurality of p+ diffusion regions at the back surface of the substrate; providing a plurality of n+ diffusion regions at the back surface of the substrate in an alternate pattern with the p+ diffusion regions; providing an oxide layer over the p+ and n+ regions; providing an insulating layer over the back surface of the substrate; providing at least one first metal contact at the back surface for the p+ diffusion regions; and providing at least one second metal contact at the back surface for the n+ diffusion regions.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward the field of spintronics, and in particular, systems and devices capable of performing spin coherent quantum logic operations. The inventive spin valve comprises two ferromagnetic electrode layers, and a non-magnetic conducting layer positioned therebetween. An external magnetic field B0 is applied in the Z direction, such that the two electrode layers are each magnetized in a direction substantially parallel to the external magnetic field. Rather than attempting to change the magnetization of one of the ferromagnetic layers, as is the case in prior art technologies, it is the direction of the electron spin that is manipulated in the present embodiments while the electron is traveling through the middle, nonmagnetic layer. One of the ferromagnetic electrodes may be the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM).

Abstract: RFID tags and devices disclosed herein use ferromagnetic films to store information. The tags include patches of ferromagnetic materials, each patch having a particular ferromagnetic resonance frequency determined by the composition of the ferromagnetic film. When stimulated, the patches emit microwave or RF signals at their resonance frequencies and at intensities proportional to the patch sizes. The signals are read and the frequency spectrum of the tag may be determined by using a FFT. Identity and other information may be provided by the spectrum.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are generally related to apparatus and methodology of thermal applicators in cancer therapy. In particular, the present embodiments are directed to a technique called “nanoparticle ferromagnetic resonance heating,” where ferromagnetic resonance heating in addition to an RF hyperthermia treatment is used to cause cell apoptosis and necrosis. An apparatus for carrying out a ferromagnetic resonance heating treatment of a tumor, comprises a volume concentration of super paramagnetic particles contained within the interior of the tumor, the concentration ranging from about 0.1 to about 1 percent; a magnetic field source configured to deliver a gradient DC magnetic field to the region of the tumor; and an energy source configured to deliver to the tumor an RF field at a frequency ranging from about 100 to 200 MHz.