Electronic and optical properties of strained quantum dots modeled by 8-band k⋅p theory

We present a systematic investigation of the elastic, electronic, and linear optical properties of quantum dot double heterostructures in the frame of eight-band k⋅p theory. Numerical results for the model system of capped pyramid shaped InAs quantum dots in GaAs (001) with {101} facets are presented. Electron and hole levels, dipole transition energies, oscillator strengths, and polarizations for both electron-hole and electron-electron transitions, as well as the exciton ground-state binding energy and the electron ground-state Coulomb charging energy are calculated. The dependence of all these properties on the dot size is investigated for base widths between 10 and 20 nm. Results for two different approaches to model strain, continuum elasticity theory, and the Keatings valence force field model in the linearized version of Kane, are compared to each other.