Dephasing of intersublevel polarizations in InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots

Abstract

We have performed time-integrated degenerate four-wave mixing experiments in InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots. The quantum dots are excited in resonance with an intersublevel transition between the valence states of the dots. The dephasing time ${T}_{2}$ is deduced from the time dependence of the photon echo amplitude as a function of the delay between the two incident pulses. At low temperature, a dephasing time ${T}_{2}$ of 15 ps is measured for a resonant excitation at 7.4 \ensuremath{\mu}m wavelength. This dephasing corresponds to an homogeneous broadening of the intersublevel transition of 87 \ensuremath{\mu}eV. The polarization decay time is much longer than the one observed for resonant intersubband excitations in quantum wells. The dephasing time of the intersublevel polarization exhibits only a weak temperature dependence, indicating that the dephasing is not dominated by phonon-assisted scattering mechanisms.