Orientation-dependent spontaneous emission rates of a two-level quantum emitter in any nanophotonic environment

Abstract

We study theoretically the spontaneous emission rate of a two-level quantum emitter in any nanophotonic system. We derive a general representation of the rate on the orientation of the transition dipole by only invoking symmetry of the Green function. The rate depends quadratically on orientation and is determined by rates along three principal axes, which greatly simplifies visualization: emission rate surfaces provide insight on how preferred orientations for enhancement (or inhibition) depend on emission frequency and location, as shown for a mirror, a plasmonic sphere, and a photonic band-gap crystal. Moreover, insight is provided on means to "switch" the emission rates by actively controlling the orientation of the emitters' transition dipole. © 2009 The American Physical Society.