Study of rapid carrier capture and relaxation in InAs/GaAs heterostructures

The rapid carrier capture and relaxation processes in InAs/GaAs quantum dots were studied at 77K by using a simple degenerate pump-probe technique. A rising process was observed in the transient reflectivity, following the initial fast relaxation associated with GaAs bulk matrix, and this rising process was assigned to be related to the carrier capture from the GaAs barriers to InAs layers. The assignment was modeled using Kramers-Kronig relation. By analyzing the rising process observed in the transient reflectivity, the carrier capture time constants were obtained. The measured capture times decrease with the increase of carrier concentration.