Electronic and optical properties of semiconductor quantum dots

1. Main aspects of electronic states of semiconductor quantum dots.
Single particle spectrum and wavefunctions : energy quantization and spatial localization of low lying states.  Generalities on high energy continua : the wetting layer and the barrier states.

2. Optical response : intraband properties
Bound-to-bound transitions in doped QDs. Review of coupling between confined electrons and optical phonons.  Decoherence in optical transitions : discussion of time-resolved experiments. Generalities about bound-to-continua transitions (QDs for detector applications).

3. Optical response : interband properties.
Elementary discussion on electron-hole states.  Ensemble measurements and single QD spectroscopy.  Dipolar coupling to light and atomic analogy : theory and experiments on strong coupling regime.  Role of acoustical phonons : discussion on phonon wings (theory and experiments).  Time domain aspects : intrinsic decoherence of interband transitions and “phonon wind”.

4. Few spin-related aspects of optical properties
Singlet and triplet states in QDs hosting two electrons.  Fine structure of interband transitions.



Source: http://afrodite.eln.uniroma2.it/maratea2007/Abstracts/Ferreira.doc