The problem of molecular fluorescence in the vicinity of a gradient-index m
edium is studied theoretically through classical modeling of a radiating di
pole. A previously developed formulation involving the Green dyadic for an
inhomogeneous medium is applied to the present problem. Normalized lifetime
s for the admolecules are calculated and compared with those for a homogene
ous medium. The results are illustrated by numerical examples assuming cert
ain simple forms for the index profile. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America
[S0740-3232(00)00305-7].