Abstract

An interaction of electromagnetic radiation with atoms and molecules in the photonic band-gap structures is of great interest today. Due to existence of localised states of photons in the photonic band-gap structures (PBG-structures) the fundamental features of the interaction are drastically altered. The spontaneous decay is changed most significantly. When the transition frequency of an atom lies within the gap the upper-state population decays some time, but then the decay is completely stopped and the upper-state population comes to the stationary level. This phenomenon was called "freezing" of decay [1] or fractional steady-state decay [2]. The radiation emitted by the atom localises in spatial vicinity of the atom. This radiation has a specific monochromatic collective character and sub-Poissonian statistics [1]. In fact, the formation of the collective monochromatic radiation is an example of thresholdless laser generation [1], which opens wide possibilities to use a photonic crystals for constructing lasers. Besides, the supperradians and dipole-dipole interaction [2] between atoms and molecules in PBG-materials occur in very specific way.

© 1996 IEEE