Shape, strain, and ordering of lateral InAs quantum dot molecules

The results of an x-ray study on freestanding, self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy are presented. The studied samples cover the range from statistically distributed single quantum dots to quantum dot bimolecules, and finally to quantum dot quadmolecules. The x-ray diffraction data of the single quantum dots and the bimolecules, obtained in grazing incidence geometry, have been analyzed using the isostrain model. An extended version of the isostrain model has been developed, including the lateral arrangement of the quantum dots within a quantum dot molecule and the superposition of the scattering from different parts of the dots. This model has been applied to the scattering maps of all three samples. Quantitative information about the positions of the dots, the shape, and the lattice parameter distribution of their crystalline core has been obtained. For the single dot and the bimolecule, a strong similarity of the shape and lattice parameter distribution has been found, in agreement with the similarity of their photoluminescence spectra.