DAMPING OF A DIPOLE IN PLANAR MICROCAVITIES

A general description of the damping of an excited atomic (molecular) dipole in absorbing planar cavities is given in the framework of classical electrodynamics. The theory is applied to the consideration of atomic nonradiative lossess under the conditions for enhanced/inhibited spontaneous emission in a model cavity resembling the structure of novel electroluminescence devices. It is shown that the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons guided by a metallic mirror (electrode) as an additional decay channel for the atom competes with spontaneous emission and dominates in low-order cavities. This process may therefore effectively spoil the conditions for enhanced/inhibited spontaneous emission and reduce the efficiency of spontaneous emission in microcavities of that sort.