Applied Physics Express (APEX) is a Letters journal devoted solely to rapid dissemination of up-to-date and concise reports on new findings in applied physics. The motto of APEX is high scientific quality and prompt publication. APEX is a sister journal of the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics (JJAP) and is published by IOP Publishing on behalf of the Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP) APEX publishes articles dealing with the applications of physical principles as well as articles concerning the understanding of physics with particular applications in mind. As a Letters journal, emphasis will be given to developing and emerging fields in applied physics. Examples of fields of current interest include: Semiconductors, dielectrics, and organic materials Photonics, quantum electronics, optics, and spectroscopy Spintronics, superconductivity, and strongly correlated materials Device physics including quantum information processing Physics-based circuits and systems Nanoscale science and technology Crystal growth, surfaces, interfaces, thin films, and bulk materials Plasmas, applied atomic and molecular physics, and applied nuclear physics Device processing, fabrication and measurement technologies, and instrumentation Cross-disciplinary areas such as bioelectronics/photonics, biosensing, environmental/energy technologies, and MEMS.