Field propagator of a dressed junction: Fluorescence lifetime calculations in a confined geometry

Abstract

The study of the fluorescence phenomenon by near-field optical techniques requires one to describe precisely the spontaneous emission change occurring when the fluorescing particle is placed in a complex optical environment. For this purpose, the field susceptibility (also called the field propagator) of a planar junction formed by a cavity bounded by two semi-infinite bodies with arbitrary optical constant is derived within the framework of linear-response theory. The field propagator associated with the junction is then modified in a self-consistent manner to account for the presence of any arbitrary object inside the junction. As a first illustration the alteration of the fluorescence lifetime of a molecule by two subwavelength-sized dielectric spheres, placed inside the junction, is presented.