Quantum Dot Cavity-QED in the Presence of Strong Electron-Phonon Interactions

A quantum dot strongly coupled to a single high finesse optical microcavity mode constitutes a new fundamental system for quantum optics. Here, the effect of exciton-phonon interactions on reversible quantum-dot cavity coupling is analysed without making Born-Markov approximation. The analysis is based on techniques that have been used to study the ``spin boson'' Hamiltonian. Observability of vacuum-Rabi splitting depends on the strength and the frequency dependence of the spectral density function characterizing the interactions with phonons, both of which can be influenced by phonon confinement.