Electron-hole spin flip-flop in semiconductor quantum dots

Abstract

We use temporally resolved intensity cross-correlation measurements to identify the biexciton-exciton radiative cascades in a negatively charged QD. The polarization sensitive correlation measurements show unambiguously that the excited two-electron triplet states relax nonradiatively to their singlet ground state via a spin nonconserving flip-flop with the ground state heavy hole. We explain this mechanism in terms of resonant coupling between the confined electron states and an LO phonon. This resonant interaction together with the electron-hole exchange interaction provides an efficient mechanism for this otherwise spin-blockaded, electronic relaxation.