Spatial carrier-carrier correlations in strain-induced quantum dots

Abstract

The electron-hole correlation effects on the energy levels and the wave functions of the electrons and holes in a strain-induced quantum dot containing one to ten carrier pairs have been studied using large-scale configuration-interaction calculations. The present calculations show the formation of excitons and biexcitons in the quantum dot. By increasing the number of carrier pairs, one observes a transition from a strongly correlated system to a quantum dot system for which the electron-electron and hole-hole correlations are dominated by exchange interaction and are relatively well described at the Hartree-Fock level, while for an accurate description of the electron-hole correlations configuration-interaction calculations are necessary. Ring-shaped carrier distributions emerge with increasing number of carrier pairs.