Atomistic pseudopotential calculations of the optical properties of InAs/InP self-assembled quantum dots

TL;DR

This study uses empirical pseudopotential and configuration interaction methods to analyze and compare the optical properties of InAs/InP and InAs/GaAs quantum dots, revealing significant differences in emission, correlations, lifetimes, and charge configurations.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed comparison of InAs/InP quantum dots with InAs/GaAs, highlighting unique optical and electronic properties of InAs/InP QDs.

Findings

InAs/InP QDs have different emission line alignment than InAs/GaAs QDs.

Hidden correlation in InAs/InP QDs is smaller than in InAs/GaAs QDs.

Radiative lifetimes in InAs/InP QDs are about twice longer than in InAs/GaAs QDs.

Abstract

We present a comprehensive study of the optical properties of InAs/InP self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) using an empirical pseudopotential method and configuration interaction treatment of the many-particle effects. The results are compared to those of InAs/GaAs QDs. The main results are: (i) The alignment of emission lines of neutral exciton, charged exciton and biexciton in InAs/InP QDs is quite different from that in InAs/GaAs QDs. (ii) The hidden correlation in InAs/InP QDs is 0.7 - 0.9 meV, smaller than that in InAs/GaAs QDs. (iii) The radiative lifetimes of neutral exciton, charged exciton and biexciton in InAs/InP QDs are about twice longer than those in InAs/GaAs QDs. (v) The phase diagrams of few electrons and holes in InAs/InP QDs differ greatly from those in InAs/GaAs QDs. The filling orders of electrons and holes are shown to obey the Hund's rule and Aufbau principle, and therefore the photoluminescence spectra of highly charged excitons are very different from those of InAs/GaAs QDs.