Non-perturbative optical response of a single quantum dot in a fluctuating environment

Abstract

We present a model which treats non-perturbatively the effects of both dipolar coupling and reservoir fluctuations on the interband optical response of a single quantum dot. We are able to study the transition to a Rabi-like situation with increasing excitation power. The incorporation of an energy relaxation process (for instance, due to polaron relaxation among the dot polaron levels) in a three-level system allows us to simulate both photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation experiments. The PL spectrum displays one or a few lines depending on the excitation intensity, relaxation efficiency and reservoir fluctuation rates.