In this paper, we present a plasmonic refractometric sensor that works under normal incidence; allowing its integration on a fiber tip. The sensor's material and geometry exploit the large scattering cross-section given by high-contrast of the index of refraction subwavelength dielectric gratings. Our design generates a hybrid plasmonic-Fano resonance due to the interference between the surface plasmon resonance and the grating response. We optimize the sensor with a merit function that combines the quality parameter of the resonance and the field enhancement at the interaction volume where the plasmon propagates. Our device shows a high sensitivity (1000 nm/RIU) and a high Figure of Merit (775 RIU $^{-1}$ ). Degradation in performance is negligible through a wide dynamic range up to 0.7 RIU. These quantitative parameters overperform compared to similar plasmonic sensors.

In this article nickel interdigital capacitors were fabricated on top of silicon substrates. The capacitance of the interdigital capacitor was optimized by coating the electrodes with a 60 nm layer of HfO₂. An analytical solution of the capacitance was compared to electromagnetic simulations using COMSOL and with experimental measurements. Results show that modeling interdigital capacitors using Finite Element Method software such as COMSOL is effective in the design and electrical characterization of these transducers.

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) have become an attractive way to produce green energy via their integration into buildings as photovoltaic windows. Recently, carbon quantum dots (C-QDs) have become the most studied luminescent material for the manufacture of luminescent solar concentrators due to their advantages, such as low toxicity, sustainability, and low cost. Despite the advantages of carbon quantum dots, they remain a low-efficiency material, and it is difficult to fabricate LSCs with a good performance. To address this problem, some of the research has used SiO₂ nanoparticles (Nps) to produce a light-scattering effect that helps to improve the system performance. However, these studies are limited and have not been discussed in detail. In this regard, this research work was designed to evaluate the contribution of the scattering effect in different systems of carbon quantum dots used in a possible luminescent solar concentrator. To carry out this study, C-QDs and SiO₂ Nps were synthesized by hydrothermal methods and the Stober method, respectively. We used different concentrations of both materials to fabricate film LSCs (10 × 10 cm²). The results show that the light scattered by the SiO₂ Nps has a double contribution, in terms of light redirected towards the edges of the window and as a secondary source of excitation for the C-QDs; thus, an improvement in the performance of the LSC is achieved. The best improvement in photoluminescence is achieved when the films are composed of 20% wt carbon quantum dots and 10% wt SiO₂ Nps, reaching a gain of 16% of the intensity of the light incident on the edges of the window with respect to the LSCs where only C-QDs were used.

We present an analogy between the one dimensional Poisson equation in inhomogeneous media and the Dirac equation in one space dimension with a Lorentz scalar potential for zero energy. We illustrate how the zero energy state in the Jackiw-Rebbi model can be implemented in a simple one dimensional electrostatic setting by using an inhomogeneous electric permittivity and an infinite charged sheet. Our approach provides a novel insight into the Jackiw-Rebbi zero energy state and provides a helpful way to visualize and teach this important quantum field theory model using basic electrostatics.