Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
We have studied high-energy shifts of single quantum dot (QD) emission lines induced by contact pressure exerted by a near-field optical fiber tip. “Pressure” coefficients of 0.65-3 meV/nm have been measured for self-organized InAs/GaAs, InAs/AlAs and InP/GaInP QDs in agreement with numerical calculations of the local strain field. We found an increase of the tipinduced pressure with increasing aperture diameter from 50-300 nm. A correlation between the shift rate and QD stiffness was obtained. We also observed an order of magnitude increase of single QD emission intensity with increased pressure.