Abstract

The emission from luminescent centers located in a thin film (O) of thickness d_O≪λ (where λ is the emission wavelength) is optical-environment-dependent: The raditive lifetimes depend not only on the refractive index n_O of the film but also on the indices n₁ and n₂ of the adjacent media n₁ and n₂. The angular distributions of the emitted light differ drastically from the well-known multipole radiation patterns. From these electro-dynamical effects informations about the emitting centers can be obtained (determination of quantum efficiencies, multipolarity assignments, orientation of the emission dipoles).^1,2

© 1984 Optical Society of America