  We study theoretically the optical response of a double quantum dot structure
to an ultrafast optical excitation. We show that the interplay of a specific
type of coupling between the dots and their collective interaction with the
radiative environment leads to very characteristic features in the
time-resolved luminescence as well as in the absorption spectrum of the system.
For a sufficiently strong coupling, these effects survive even if the
transition energy mismatch between the two dots exceeds by far the emission
linewidth.
