Emitter near an arbitrary body: Purcell effect, optical theorem and the Wheeler-Feynman absorber

Venkatapathi, Murugesan (2012) Emitter near an arbitrary body: Purcell effect, optical theorem and the Wheeler-Feynman absorber. In: JOURNAL OF QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY & RADIATIVE TRANSFER, 113 (13). pp. 1705-1711.

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Abstract

The altered spontaneous emission of an emitter near an arbitrary body can be elucidated using an energy balance of the electromagnetic field. From a classical point of view it is trivial to show that the field scattered back from any body should alter the emission of the source. But it is not at all apparent that the total radiative and non-radiative decay in an arbitrary body can add to the vacuum decay rate of the emitter (i.e.) an increase of emission that is just as much as the body absorbs and radiates in all directions. This gives us an opportunity to revisit two other elegant classical ideas of the past, the optical theorem and the Wheeler-Feynman absorber theory of radiation. It also provides us alternative perspectives of Purcell effect and generalizes many of its manifestations, both enhancement and inhibition of emission. When the optical density of states of a body or a material is difficult to resolve (in a complex geometry or a highly inhomogeneous volume) such a generalization offers new directions to solutions. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	JOURNAL OF QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY & RADIATIVE TRANSFER
Publisher:	PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Additional Information:	Copyright for this article belongs to Elsevier
Keywords:	Purcell effect;Emitter;Optical theorem;Wheeler-Feynman absorber
Department/Centre:	Division of Interdisciplinary Sciences > Supercomputer Education & Research Centre
Date Deposited:	25 Jul 2012 10:11
Last Modified:	25 Jul 2012 10:11
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/44851

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