Photoluminescence dynamics of coupled quantum dots

We have investigated effects of the strain-compensating spacer layer on photoluminescence (PL) properties of excitons in the multilayered self-assembled quantum dots (SAQDs). The PL decay time of excitons in the sample with a thin spacer layer is longer than that with a thick spacer layer. This is attributed to the lowering of the oscillator strengths owing to reduction of the overlap integral between the electrons and holes envelope functions because of spatially extended electron envelope functions in the growth direction. In addition, the PL intensity of the transverse-magnetic mode in the sample with the thinner spacer layer has been found to be enhanced in the polarized PL measurement from the cleaved edge surface of the samples. These results indicate the possibility of QDs connecting along the growth direction via penetration of the electron envelope function.