We report high-resolution spectroscopy by interferometric correlation measurements on the photoluminescence signal of a single quantum dot. We demonstrate that the insertion of a Michelson interferometer in the detection path gives a compact and flexible setup for linewidth measurements. We have used this technique to study self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots. We observe linewidth variations from one quantum dot to another, and we bring evidence of environment effects on the broadening processes. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics

Microphotoluminescence measurements under cw excitation reveal the existence of a strong photoluminescence up-conversion from single InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots and also from the InAs wetting layer. Excitation spectroscopy of the up-converted photoluminescence signal shows identical features from the wetting layer and the single quantum dots, i.e., a band tail coming from the deep states localized at the rough interfaces of the wetting layer quantum well. This observation of photoluminescence up-conversion demonstrates the influence on the quantum dot properties of the environment, and highlights the limitations of the artificial atom model for a semiconductor quantum dot.

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We report systematic temperature-dependent measurements of photoluminescence excitation spectra in single self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots. We studied the increase with temperature of the excited-state homogeneous linewidth for different quantum dots. We found a correlation between the acoustic phonon broadening efficiency and the background intensity in the photoluminescence excitation spectra. These results demonstrate the interaction of the discrete quantum dot excited states with a quasicontinuum of states and impose severe limitations on the isolated artificial macroatom scheme for a single quantum dot

Photoluminescence up-conversion under cw excitation in semiconductor quantum-dot structures is systematically studied in a sample exhibiting a crossover between two-dimensional and three-dimensional (3D) growth modes. We probe the existence of carrier up-conversion by using ultrathin quantum wells close to the quantum-dot layer. We show that the efficiency of the up-conversion is closely related to the disorder induced by the 3D-growth mode of the quantum dots.