  In semiconductor quantum dots the coupling to the environment, i.e. to
phonons, plays a crucial role for optical state preparation. We analyze the
phonon impact on two methods for a direct optical preparation of the dark
exciton, which is enabled by a tilted magnetic field: the excitation with a
chirped laser pulse and the excitation with a detuned pulse. Our study reveals
that for both methods phonons either do not impede the proposed mechanism or
are even useful by widening the parameter range where a dark state preparation
is possible due to phonon-assisted dark exciton preparation. In view of the
positive impact of phonons on the optical preparation the use of dark excitons
in quantum dots becomes even more attractive.
