Carrier thermal escape and retrapping in self-assembled quantum dots

The effects of carrier thermal escape and retrapping on the temperature dependence of the photoluminescence of InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots are investigated. A systematic experimental study of the temperature evolution of the photoluminescence spectra in two different sets of samples is reported. The photoluminescence behavior is well reproduced in terms of a steady state model for the carrier dynamics which takes into account the quantum-dot size distribution, random population effects, and carrier capture, relaxation, and retrapping. The relative contributions of these processes to the photoluminescence thermal quenching is discussed.