Fluorescence Intermittency in Self-Assembled InP Quantum Dots

Mitsuru Sugisaki; Hong-Wen Ren; Kenichi Nishi; Yasuaki Masumoto

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.4883

Fluorescence Intermittency in Self-Assembled InP Quantum Dots

Mitsuru Sugisaki, Hong-Wen Ren, Kenichi Nishi, and Yasuaki Masumoto

Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 4883 – Published 21 May 2001

Abstract

Fluorescence intermittency in InP self-assembled dots is investigated by means of far field imaging and single dot spectroscopy. Based on our observation that blinking dots are found in the vicinity of scratches and the blinking frequency is drastically enhanced under a near-infrared laser irradiation, we attribute the origin of the fluorescence intermittency to a local electric field due to a carrier trapped at a deep localized center in the ${Ga}_{0.5} {In}_{0.5} P$ matrix. The validity of this explanation is confirmed by a thermal activation-type behavior of the switching rate and artificial reproduction of the blinking phenomenon by an external electric field.

Received 31 July 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.4883

Authors & Affiliations

Mitsuru Sugisaki^1,*, Hong-Wen Ren^1,†, Kenichi Nishi^1,2, and Yasuaki Masumoto^1,3

¹Single Quantum Dot Project, ERATO, JST, Tsukuba Research Consortium, 5-9-9 Tokodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2635, Japan
²System Devices and Fundamental Research, NEC Corporation, 34 Miyukigaoka, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8501, Japan
³Institute of Physics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8571, Japan

^*Corresponding author.Email address: mitsuru@ecf.utoronto.caPresent address: Energenius Centre for Advanced Nanotechnology, University of Toronto, Haultain Building, 170 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E3.
^†Present address: Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun, Houston, TX 77204-5507.