INFLUENCE OF SURROUNDING DIELECTRICS ON THE SPONTANEOUS EMISSION OF SULFORHODAMINE-B MOLECULES

The spontaneous emission rate of molecules depends on the refractive i ndex of the surrounding environment. We present a photoluminescence li fetime study of sulforhodamine B molecules dissolved in water droplets (inverted micelles) which are stabilized by a surfactant and suspende d in solutions of different dielectric constants. A good agreement is found between the experimentally observed and theoretically expected l ifetime variations. The radiative and nonradiative lifetimes of sulfor hodamine B molecules in micelles are determined.