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The emergence of hard X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) enables new insights into many fields of science. These new sources provide short, highly intense, and coherent X-ray pulses. In a variety of scientific applications these pulses need to be strongly focused. In this article, we demonstrate focusing of hard X-ray FEL pulses to 125 nm using refractive x-ray optics. For a quantitative analysis of most experiments, the wave field or at least the intensity distribution illuminating the sample is needed. We report on the full characterization of a nanofocused XFEL beam by ptychographic imaging, giving access to the complex wave field in the nanofocus. From these data, we obtain the full caustic of the beam, identify the aberrations of the optic, and determine the wave field for individual pulses. This information is for example crucial for high-resolution imaging, creating matter in extreme conditions, and nonlinear x-ray optics.

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been demonstrated viable for efficient light emission applications, in particular for the emission of single photons on demand. However, the preparation of QDs emitting photons with predefined and deterministic polarization vectors has proven arduous. Access to linearly polarized photons is essential for various applications. In this report, a novel concept to directly generate linearly-polarized photons is presented. This concept is based on InGaN QDs grown on top of elongated GaN hexagonal pyramids, by which the predefined elongation determines the polarization vectors of the emitted photons from the QDs. This growth scheme should allow fabrication of ultracompact arrays of photon emitters, with a controlled polarization direction for each individual emitter. Keywords: GaN; InGaN; photoluminescence; polarized emission; quantum dot INTRODUCTION Quantum dots (QDs) have validated their important role in current optoelectronic devices and they are also seen promising as light sources for quantum information applications. An improved efficiency of laser diodes and light-emitting diodes can be achieved by the incorporation of QDs ensembles in the optically active layers.1 In addition, the proposed quantum computer applications rely on photons with distinct energy and polarization vectors, which can be seen as the ultimate demand on photons emitted from individual QDs.2 A common requirement raised for several optoelectronic applications, e.g., liquid-crystal displays, three-dimensional visualization, (bio)-dermatology 3 and the optical quantum computers, 4 is the need of linearly polarized light for their operation. For existing applications, the generation of linearly polarized light is obtained by passing unpolarized light through a combination of polarization selective filters and waveguides, with an inevitable efficiency loss as the result. These losses can be drastically reduced by employment of sources, which directly generate photons with desired polarization directions.Conventional QDs grown via the Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth mode are typically randomly distributed over planar substrates and possess different degrees of anisotropies. The anisotropy in strain field and/or geometrical shape of each individual QD determines the polarization performance of the QD emission. Accordingly, a cumbersome post-selection of QDs with desired polarization properties among the randomly distributed QDs is required for device integration.

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Electron paramagnetic resonance studies of Si-doped AlxGa1−xN (0.79 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) reveal two Si negative-U (or DX) centers, which can be separately observed for x ≥ 0.84. We found that for the stable DX center, the energy |EDX| of the negatively charged state DX−, which is also considered as the donor activation energy, abruptly increases with Al content for x ∼ 0.83–1.0 approaching ∼240 meV in AlN, whereas EDX remains to be close to the neutral charge state Ed for the metastable DX center (∼11 meV below Ed in AlN).

We report on a growth of AlN at reduced temperatures of 1100 o C and 1200 o C in a horizontaltube hot-wall metalorganic chemical vapor deposition reactor configured for operation at temperatures of up to 1500-1600 o C and using a joint delivery of precursors. We present a simple route -as viewed in the context of the elaborate multilayer growth approaches with pulsed ammonia supply -for the AlN growth process on SiC substrates at the reduced temperature of 1200 o C. The established growth conditions in conjunction with the particular in-situ intervening SiC substrate treatment are considered pertinent to the accomplishment of crystalline, relatively thin, ~ 700 nm, single AlN layers of high-quality. The feedback is obtained from surface morphology, cathodoluminescence and secondary ion mass spectrometry characterization.

Thermal nanoimprint lithography (NIL) of the cyclic olefin copolymeric thermoplast Topas® is demonstrated. Topas® is highly UV-transparent, has low water absorption, and is chemically resistant to hydrolysis, acids and organic polar solvents which makes it suitable for lab-on-a-chip applications. In particular, Topas® is suitable for micro systems made for optical bio-detection since waveguides for UV-light can be made directly in Topas®. In this article full process sequences for spin coating Topas® onto 4 in. silicon wafers, NIL silicon stamp fabrication with micro and nanometer sized features, and the NIL process parameters are presented. The rheological properties of Topas® are measured and the zero shear rate viscosity is found to be 2.16×104 Pa s at 170 °C and 3.6×103 Pa s at 200 °C while the dominant relaxation time is found to be 4.4 s and 0.9 s, respectively. The etch resistance of Topas® to two different reactive ion etch processes, an oxygen plasma, and an anisotropic silicon etch, is found to be 12.6 nm/s and 0.7 nm/s, respectively. The etch rates are compared to the similar etch rates of 950 k PMMA, cross-linked SU-8, and standard AZ5214E photoresist. Finally, UV-lithography (UVL) followed by metal deposition and lift-off on top of a Topas® film patterned by NIL is demonstrated. This exploits the chemical resistance of Topas® to sodium hydroxide and acetone. The demonstrated UVL and lift-off on top of an imprinted Topas® film opens new possibilities for post-NIL processing.

A silicon mold used for structuring polymer microcavities for optical applications is fabricated, using a combination of DRIE (deep reactive ion etching) and anisotropic chemical wet etching with KOH + IPA. For polymer optical microcavities, low surface roughness and vertical sidewalls are often needed. This is achieved by aligning the mold precisely to the [110] direction of a silicon (100) wafer and etching very close to the (110) surfaces using a DRIE Bosch process. The surface roughness of the sidewalls is then removed with a short etch in KOH + IPA. To achieve this, the parameters for DRIE and KOH + IPA etch have been optimized. To reduce stiction between the silicon mold and the polymers used for molding, the mold is coated with a teflon-like material using the DRIE system. Released polymer microstructures characterized with AFM and SEM are also presented.