Intersublevel relaxation properties of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dot heterostructures

Abstract

We investigate the effect of carrier dynamics on the temperature dependence of photoluminescence spectra from InAs/GaAs quantum dot heterostructures with different dot size uniformity. Intersublevel relaxation lifetimes and carrier transferring mechanisms are simulated using a model based on carrier relaxing and thermal emitting of each discrete energy level in the quantum dot system. Calculated relaxation lifetimes are decreasing with temperature and have larger values for samples with lower size uniformity. In the quantitative discussion of carrier dynamics, the influence of thermal redistribution on carrier relaxing process of quantum dot system is demonstrated by our model.