FYI, you can trick out matplotlib by creating a matplotlibrc config file. This allows you to set defaults for plot size, trace color, fonts, grids, etc., analogous to what is achieved in ATF:1840 for Matlab.

Note also that matplotlib supports LaTeX by default (if you have LaTeX installed), which means, for example, that you can include true square roots on your spectral densities:

plt.ylabel('Voltage spectral density (V/$\\sqrt{\\mathrm{Hz}}$)')

Since the backslash is used for escape characters in python, you must escape LaTeX backslashes.

For maximum effect, you can set the following lines in your matplotlibrc file:

text.usetex = True

text.latex.preamble = \usepackage{txfonts}

Then all text and mathematics in your plot will be sent through LaTeX for processing and will appear in Times.

Also, why is the conversion from watts to volts V = 50 * sqrt(W) and not V = sqrt(50 * W)?