GaAs quantum dots under quasiuniaxial stress: Experiment and theory

The optical properties of excitons confined in initially unstrained GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots are studied as a function of a variable quasiuniaxial stress. To allow the validation of state-of-the-art computational tools for describing the optical properties of nanostructures, we determine the quantum dot morphology and the in-plane components of externally induced strain tensor at the quantum dot positions. Based on these experimental parameters, we calculate the strain-dependent excitonic emission energy, degree of linear polarization, and fine-structure splitting using a combination of eight-band k . p formalism with multiparticle corrections using the configuration interaction method. The experimental observations are quantitatively well reproduced by our calculations and deviations are discussed.