One and Two Phonon Assisted Transitions between Exciton Spin States in a Quantum Dot

K. Roszak a, P. Machnikowski a, V.M. Axt b and T. Kuhn c a Institute of Physics, Wrocław University of Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland b Theoretische Physik III, Universität Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany c Institut für Festkörpertheorie, Universität Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Str. 10, 48149 Münster, Germany

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Received: 7 06 2008;

Exciton spin decay is studied in a self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dot. The spin relaxation results from an interplay of two factors: the Bir-Pikus Hamiltonian and the short-range exchange interaction, leading to one and two phonon assisted transitions. We establish a hierarchy between the resulting transition rates and show the dominating role of transverse phonons for all the transitions.

DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.114.1329 PACS numbers: 72.25.Rb, 73.21.La, 78.67.Hc