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Abstract Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film solar cells have gained significant attention in the photovoltaic industry due to their high efficiency and low cost. CdTe solar cells have achieved a high‐power conversion efficiency of 23.1%. To further boost the device's performance, it is crucial to systematically tune the doping concentration and carrier concentration, which are dominated by the doping approach and the following dopant activation processes. Both Group I elements (e.g., Cu) and Group V elements (e.g., As) doping have demonstrated high efficiency and utilizing various doping techniques. This review provides an overview of the history of the CdTe thin film technology, doping mechanisms, doping techniques, challenges, and potential solutions to further improve device performance. 

Objectives: The SARS-CoV-2 BQ.1* variant rapidly spread globally in late 2022, posing a challenge due to its increased immune evasion. Methods: We conducted a prevalence survey in Brazil from November 16 to December 22, 2022, as part of a cohort study. We conducted interviews and collected nasal samples for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing and whole-genome sequencing. Cumulative incidence was estimated using RT-PCR positivity, cycle threshold values, and external data on the dynamics of RT-PCR positivity following infection. Results: Among 535 participants, 54% had documented SARS-CoV-2 exposure before this outbreak and 74% had received COVID-19 vaccination. In this study, 14.8% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, with BQ.1* identified in 90.7% of cases. Using case data and cycle threshold values, cumulative incidence was estimated at 56% (95% confidence interval, 36-88%). Of the 79 positive participants, 48.1% had a symptomatic illness, with a lower proportion fulfilling the World Health Organization COVID-19 case definition compared to prior Omicron waves. No participants required medical attention. Conclusions: Despite high population-level hybrid immunity, the BQ.1* variant attacked 56% of our population. Lower disease severity was associated with BQ.1* compared to prior Omicron variants. Hybrid immunity may provide protection against future SARS-CoV-2 variants but in this case was not able to prevent widespread transmission. 

Weyl points are zero-dimensional band degeneracy in three-dimensional momentum space that has nonzero topological charges. The presence of the topological charges protects the degeneracy points against perturbations and enables a variety of fascinating phenomena. It is so far unclear whether such charged objects can occur in higher dimensions. Here, we introduce the concept of charged nodal surface, a two-dimensional band degeneracy surface in momentum space that is topologically charged. We provide an effective Hamiltonian for this charged nodal surface and show that such a Hamiltonian can be implemented in a tight-binding model. This is followed by an experimental realization in a phononic crystal. The measured topologically protected surface arc state of such an acoustic semimetal reproduces excellently the full-wave simulations. Creating high-dimensional charged geometric objects in momentum space promises a broad range of unexplored topological physics. 

In the development of topological photonics, achieving three-dimensional topological insulators is of notable interest since it enables the exploration of new topological physics with photons and promises novel photonic devices that are robust against disorders in three dimensions. Previous theoretical proposals toward three-dimensional topological insulators use complex geometries that are challenging to implement. On the basis of the concept of synthetic dimension, we show that a two-dimensional array of ring resonators, which was previously demonstrated to exhibit a two-dimensional topological insulator phase, automatically becomes a three-dimensional topological insulator when the frequency dimension is taken into account. Moreover, by modulating a few of the resonators, a screw dislocation along the frequency axis can be created, which provides robust one-way transport of photons along the frequency axis. Demonstrating the physics of screw dislocation in a topological system has been a substantial challenge in solid-state systems. Our work indicates that the physics of three-dimensional topological insulators can be explored in standard integrated photonic platforms, leading to opportunities for novel devices that control the frequency of light.