DIPOLE RELAXATION IN DISPERSIVE PHOTONIC BAND-GAP STRUCTURES

Photonic structures are considered with the emphasis on dispersive mat erials and on one-dimensionally periodic structures. The electromagnet ic frequency bands and the corresponding field distributions are deter mined for a GaAs/AlAs one-dimensional photonic structure and the field quantization is established. The interaction is considered between th e electromagnetic fields and an oscillating electric dipole located de ep within the layers. This involves coupling to the polariton modes of this inhomogeneous medium, with each type of mode providing a dipole relaxation channel. Relaxation processes due to emission into the pola riton channels are analyzed. The results are displayed in terms of the emission rate Gamma versus the dipole position Z(0) for a fixed dipol e frequency omega(0) and against omega(0) for a fixed Z(0). These resu lts strongly indicate the existence of band-edge effects associated wi th the dispersive response of the materials comprising the layered sys tem.