Giant optical anisotropy in cylindrical self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum rings

Using a single-particle atomistic pseudopotential method followed by a configuration interaction treatment to many-particle interactions, we investigate the geometry, electronic structures and optical transitions of a self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum ring (QR), with its shape changing continuously from a lens-shaped quantum dot (QD) to a nearly one-dimensional ring. We find that the biaxial strain inside the ring is strongly asymmetric in the plane perpendicular to the QR growth direction, leading to a giant optical anisotropy. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2008