Quantum Kinetic Theory of Phonon-Assisted Excitation Transfer in Quantum Dot Molecules

We present a quantum-kinetic theory of the excitation transfer in a quantum dot molecule. We derive the consistent Markovian limit for the system kinetics, which leads to a description in terms of a single transfer rate for weak coupling. We show that the transfer rate is a strongly varying, nonmonotonic function of the spatial separation and energy mismatch between the dots.