Temperature dependency of resonance fluorescence from InAs/GaAs quantum dots: dephasing mechanisms

We report a study on temperature-dependent resonant fluorescence from InAs/GaAs quantum dots. We combined spectral and temporal measurements in order to identify sources of dephasing. In the spectral domain, we observed temperature-dependent broadening of the zero-phonon line as 0.3 μeV/K, and a temperature-dependent phonon broadband. Time-resolved autocorrelation measurements revealed temperature-dependent spin pumping times between T_1,s = 6 ns (4 K) and 0.5 ns (15 K). These results are compared against theoretical modeling with a master equation for a four-level system coupled to phonon and spin baths. We explained the results by phonon-mediated hole-spin scattering between two excited states, with the piezophonons as a dominant mechanism.