The luminescence properties of a single InAs self-assembled quantum dot (QD) are studied by confocal scanning optical microscopy at low temperature. The observation of single QDs has been accomplished by epitaxial growth of QDs samples with low QD density (less than one QD per µm 2 ) required by the diffraction limited spatial resolution of the microscope. In thick QDs with large confinement energies biexciton binding energies of up to 5.0 meV are found, while in thin and more weakly confined QDs the electron wavefunction penetrates into the surrounding barriers causing reduced biexciton binding energies of less than 2.0 meV. This result can be understood in terms of theoretical calculations of biexcitonic complexes in QDs with finite potential barriers.

We present a novel self-assembled quantum dot structure designed to spatially separate and store photo-generated electrons and holes in pairs of strain coupled quantum dots. The spatial separation of electron–hole pairs into quantum dots and strain-induced quantum dots has been investigated and verified by photoluminescence experiments. Results from time-resolved PL demonstrates that at low temperatures (3 K) the electron–hole pair can be stored for several seconds.

We explore electron transfer in double quantum well structures induced by femtosecond mid-infrared intersubband excitation. Spatial transfer of electrons from one quantum well to its hole filled neighbor is detected by recombination luminescence. The process results in upconversion of the mid-infrared exciting light to near-infrared luminescence. Two mid-infrared pulses with variable time delay allow us to display the field and intensity autocorrelation function for the upconverted signal and measure the electron transfer dynamics. Electron transfer between two GaAs quantum wells separated by 300 nm can be saturated and the intensity autocorrelation function exhibits a slow 18 ps recovery. Transfer between wells separated by only 25 nm is coherently controlled by the phase of the two collinear infrared pulses.

We present an InAs QDs structure designed to separate and store photo-generated electron-hole pairs. Charge separation in the structure is demonstrated using power dependent photoluminescence and biased photoluminescence. Preliminary data from time resolved photoluminescence suggest storage times in the device in the μsec range.

We present an InAs self-assembled quantum dot structure designed to spatially separate and store photo-generated electron-hole pairs. The structure consists of pairs of strain-coupled quantum dots. Separation of electron-hole pairs into the quantum dots and strain-induced quantum dots has been observed using power-dependant photoluminescence and bias-dependent photoluminescence.

Storage and retrieval of excitons were demonstrated with semiconductor self-assembled quantum dots (QDs). The optically generated excitons were dissociated and stored as separated electron-hole pairs in coupled QD pairs. A bias voltage restored the excitons, which recombined radiatively to provide a readout optical signal. The Localization of the spatially separated electron-hole pair in QDs was responsible for the ultralong storage times, which were on the order of several seconds. The present limits of this optical storage medium are discussed.

We have used photoluminescence of a GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As near-surface quantum well structure to study the quality of the interface between GaAs and GaS deposited in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) using [(tBu)GaS]4. In addition to the luminescence of the near-surface and the deep/reference quantum wells, luminescence was observed for the GaAs cap following the deposition of 100 Å of GaS. This additional feature demonstrates the high quality GaS/GaAs interface achievable through the UHV deposition of this precursor. The ratios of the integrated luminescence intensity of both the GaAs cap and the near-surface GaAs quantum well to the deep/reference quantum well indicate that there are fewer GaS/GaAs interface states for deposition on the Ga-rich GaAs(001)-(4×2)/(2×6) surface compared to deposition on the As-rich GaAs(001)-(2×4) surface. Furthermore, GaS passivated samples exposed to ambient conditions for eight months exhibit no luminescence degradation for the near-surface quantum well confirming that these films provide adequate passivation longevity.