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The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) small explorer spacecraft provides simultaneous spectra and images of the photosphere, chromosphere, transition region, and corona with 0.33-0.4 arcsec spatial resolution, 2 s temporal resolution and 1 km/s velocity resolution over a field-of-view of up to 175 arcsec x 175 arcsec. IRIS was launched into a Sun-synchronous orbit on 27 June 2013 using a Pegasus-XL rocket and consists of a 19-cm UV telescope that feeds a slit-based dual-bandpass imaging spectrograph. IRIS obtains spectra in passbands from 1332-1358, 1389-1407 and 2783-2834 Angstrom including bright spectral lines formed in the chromosphere (Mg II h 2803 Angstrom and Mg II k 2796 Angstrom) and transition region (C II 1334/1335 Angstrom and Si IV 1394/1403 Angstrom). Slit-jaw images in four different passbands (C II 1330, Si IV 1400, Mg II k 2796 and Mg II wing 2830 Angstrom) can be taken simultaneously with spectral rasters that sample regions up to 130 arcsec x 175 arcsec at a variety of spatial samplings (from 0.33 arcsec and up). IRIS is sensitive to emission from plasma at temperatures between 5000 K and 10 MK and will advance our understanding of the flow of mass and energy through an interface region, formed by the chromosphere and transition region, between the photosphere and corona. This highly structured and dynamic region not only acts as the conduit of all mass and energy feeding into the corona and solar wind, it also requires an order of magnitude more energy to heat than the corona and solar wind combined. The IRIS investigation includes a strong numerical modeling component based on advanced radiative-MHD codes to facilitate interpretation of observations of this complex region. Approximately eight Gbytes of data (after compression) are acquired by IRIS each day and made available for unrestricted use within a few days of the observation., Comment: 53 pages, 15 figures

The immense volume of data generated by the suite of instruments on SDO requires new tools for efficient identifying and accessing data that is most relevant to research investigations. We have developed the Heliophysics Events Knowledgebase (HEK) to fill this need. The HEK system combines automated data mining using feature-detection methods and high-performance visualization systems for data markup. In addition, web services and clients are provided for searching the resulting metadata, reviewing results, and efficiently accessing the data. We review these components and present examples of their use with SDO data., Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures

We study theoretically the electronic properties of $c$-plane GaN/AlN quantum dots (QDs) with focus on their potential as sources of single polarized photons for future quantum communication systems. Within the framework of eight-band k.p theory we calculate the optical interband transitions of the QDs and their polarization properties. We show that an anisotropy of the QD confinement potential in the basal plane (e.g. QD elongation or strain anisotropy) leads to a pronounced linear polarization of the ground state and excited state transitions. An externally applied uniaxial stress can be used to either induce a linear polarization of the ground-state transition for emission of single polarized photons or even to compensate the polarization induced by the structural elongation., Comment: 6 pages, 9 figures. Accepted at Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter

Systematic time-resolved measurements on neutral and charged excitonic complexes (X, XX, X+, and XX+) of 26 different single InAs/GaAs quantum dots are reported. The ratios of the decay times are discussed in terms of the number of transition channels determined by the excitonic fine structure and a specific transition time for each channel. The measured ratio for the neutral complexes is 1.7 deviating from the theoretically predicted value of 2. A ratio of 1.5 for the positively charged exciton and biexciton decay time is predicted and exactly matched by the measured ratio indicating identical specific transition times for the transition channels involved., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

We present a study of the polarization properties of emission lines from single InGaN/GaN quantum dots (QDs). The QDs, formed by spinodal decomposition within ultra-thin InGaN quantum wells, are investigated using single-QD cathodoluminescence (CL). The emission lines exhibit a systematic linear polarization in the orthogonal crystal directions [1 1 -2 0] and [-1 1 0 0]--a symmetry that is non-native to hexagonal crystals. Eight-band k.p calculations reveal a mechanism that can explain the observed polarizations: The character of the hole(s) in an excitonic complex determines the polarization direction of the respective emission if the QD is slightly elongated. Transitions involving A-band holes are polarized parallel to the elongation; transitions involving B-type holes are polarized in the orthogonal direction. The energetic separation of both hole states is smaller than 10 meV. The mechanism leading to the linear polarizations is not restricted to InGaN QDs, but should occur in other wurtzite-nitride QDs and in materials with similar valence band structure., Comment: Conf. Proc. of the MSS-13 in Genova 2007, accepted at Physica E

Cathodoluminescence measurements on single InGaN/GaN quantum dots (QDs) are reported. Complex spectra with up to five emission lines per QD are observed. The lines are polarized along the orthogonal crystal directions [1 1 -2 0] and [-1 1 0 0]. Realistic eight-band k.p electronic structure calculations show that the polarization of the lines can be explained by excitonic recombinations involving hole states which are either formed by the A or the B valence band., Comment: accepted at Journal of Applied Physics

A systematic study of the impact of annealing on the electronic properties of single InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) is presented. Single QD cathodoluminescence spectra are recorded to trace the evolution of one and the same QD over several steps of annealing. A substantial reduction of the excitonic fine-structure splitting upon annealing is observed. In addition, the binding energies of different excitonic complexes change dramatically. The results are compared to model calculations within eight-band k.p theory and the configuration interaction method, suggesting a change of electron and hole wave function shape and relative position., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

A systematic study of the impact of annealing on the electronic properties of single InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) is presented. We are able to record single QD cathodoluminescence spectra and trace the evolution of one and the same QD over several steps of annealing. A systematic reduction of the excitonic fine-structure splitting is reported. In addition the binding energies of different excitonic complexes change dramatically. The results are interpreted in terms of a change of electron and hole wavefunction shape and mutual position., Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of the ICPS-28, Vienna, Austria 2006

A comprehensive study of the exchange interaction between charge carriers in self-organized InAs/GaAs quantum dots is presented. Single quantum-dot cathodoluminescence spectra of quantum dots of different sizes are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the energetic structure of the charged excited exciton (hot trion). A varying degree of intermixing within the hot trion states leads to varying degrees of polarization of the corresponding emission lines. The emission characteristics change from circularly polarized for small quantum dots to elliptically polarized for large quantum dots. The findings are explained by a change of magnitude of the anisotropic exchange interaction and compared to the related effect of fine-structure splitting in the neutral exciton and biexciton emission., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in phys. stat. sol (b), proceedings of the QD2006, May 1-5 2006, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France

A systematic variation of the exciton fine-structure splitting with quantum dot size in single InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition is observed. The splitting increases from -80 to as much as 520 $\mu$eV with quantum dot size. A change of sign is reported for small quantum dots. Model calculations within the framework of eight-band k.p theory and the configuration interaction method were performed. Different sources for the fine-structure splitting are discussed, and piezoelectricity is pinpointed as the only effect reproducing the observed trend., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

Cathodoluminescence spectra employing a shadow mask technique of InGaN layers grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on Si(111) substrates are reported. Sharp lines originating from InGaN quantum dots are observed. Temperature dependent measurements reveal thermally induced carrier redistribution between the quantum dots. Spectral diffusion is observed and was used as a tool to correlate up to three lines that originate from the same quantum dot. Variation of excitation density leads to identification of exciton and biexciton. Binding and anti-binding complexes are discovered., Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures