Carrier capture and recombination dynamics in single pyramidal quantum dots

Summary form only given. Using self-ordered growth of GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures on patterned substrates, we have recently demonstrated the fabrication of arrays of structurally uniform quantum dots (QDs), each situated near the tip of a sharp pyramid. In these nanostructures, the occurrence of QD barriers consisting of 3D bulk material as well as 2D quantum wells and 1D quantum wires makes it possible to explore the effect of barrier-dimensionality on carrier capture, relaxation and recombination dynamics. In the present work, we use a micro-photoluminescence setup with temporal resolution in the picosecond range to study carrier capture, relaxation and recombination dynamics in single QDs of different state separation. A rate equation model yields quantitative information about the time-scale of the different processes.