Electron phonon interaction and polaron effects in quantum dots

We report on the magnetooptical evidence and theoretical modelling of polar on effects in semiconductor quantum dots. We show that polaron couplings le ad to very large anticrossings in the far infrared magnetoabsorption transi tions. A modelling of polaron levels by diagonalization of a Frohlich Hamil tonian between uncoupled electron-Longitudinal Optical phonon states is in excellent agreement with experiments. A theoretical study of the polaron re laxation by means of the couplings to the phonon thermostat allows direct a ccess to the polaron lifetimes.