Optical properties and interdot transfer dynamics of trapped carriers in InGaAs quantum dots (QDs) are investigated. Time resolved photoluminescence (PL) was measured for time-delayed interband and intraband excitations. Terahertz activated luminescence (TAL) from trapped carriers having lifetimes of ∼250 ns at 8 K, was observed. Spectral shift of the TAL with respect to the PL showed the trionic nature of the PL in the n-doped QDs. With increasing terahertz excitation intensity, the TAL increased and reached saturation. The activation energy associated with the trapped carrier decay was quite close to the intersublevel transition energy (∼20 meV) indicating trapping in the QDs. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.