Hole-nuclear spin interaction in quantum dots.

We have measured the carrier spin dynamics in p-doped InAs/GaAs quantum dots by pump-probe and time-resolved photoluminescence experiments. We obtained experimental evidence of the hyperfine interaction between hole and nuclear spins. In the absence of an external magnetic field, our calculations based on dipole-dipole coupling between the hole and the quantum dot nuclei lead to a hole-spin dephasing time for an ensemble of dots of 14 ns, in close agreement with experiments.