Optical experiments on individual semiconductor quantum dots

Semiconductor quantum dots attract a growing attention due to perspectives of their application in quantum cryptography and quantum computing. The talk will contain a summary of our recent optical experiments on individual quantum dots. Experimental tools include cw and time-resolved microphotoluminescence, double pulse excitation, and photon correlation measurements. In particular non-classical emission of photons from a single quantum dot, influence and control of quantum dot optical anisotropy, and optical read-out of single electron spin will be presented.