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We present a universal approach for determining the spontaneous polarization Psp of a wurtzite semiconductor from the emission energies of excitons bound to the different types of stacking faults in these crystals. Employing micro-photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, we observe emission lines from the intrinsic and extrinsic stacking faults in strain-free GaN micro-crystals. By treating the polarization sheet charges associated with these stacking faults as a plate capacitor, Psp can be obtained from the observed transition energies with no additional assumptions. Self-consistent Poisson-Schroedinger calculations, aided by the microscopic electrostatic potential computed using density-functional theory, lead to nearly identical values for Psp. Our recommended value for Psp of GaN is -0.022+/-0.007 C/m^{2}., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

A one-dimensional continuum description of growth on vicinal surfaces in the presence of immobile impurities predicts that the impurities can induce step bunching when they suppress the diffusion of adatoms on the surface. In the present communication we verify this prediction by kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations of a two-dimensional solid-on-solid model. We identify the conditions where quasi one-dimensional step flow is stable against island formation or step meandering, and analyse in detail the statistics of the impurity concentration profile. The sign and strength of the impurity-induced step interactions is determined by monitoring the motion of pairs of steps. Assemblies containing up to 20 steps turn out to be unstable towards the emission of single steps. This behavior is traced back to the small value of the effective, impurity-induced attachment asymmetry for adatoms. An analytic estimate for the critical number of steps needed to stabilize a bunch is derived and confirmed by simulations of a one-dimensional model., Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures

The modification of acoustic phonons in semiconductor nanostructures embedded in a host crystal is investigated including corrections due to strain within continuum elasticity theory. Effective elastic constants are calculated employing {\em ab initio} density functional theory. For a spherical InAs quantum dot embedded in GaAs barrier material, the electron-phonon coupling is calculated. Its strength is shown to be suppressed compared to the assumption of bulk phonons.