Spontaneous emission and energy transfer in the optical microcavity

Optical microcavities allow control over the interaction between light and matter, thus making them an important testing ground for basic optical phys ics. This review focuses on two of these interactions, spontaneous emission and energy transfer. Emphasis is placed on the underlying concepts, which are presented in the context of recent developments. Practical application of the microcavity concept to devices is now well underway and a discussion of these aspects forms an integral part of the review. This field is far f rom mature and though much has been accomplished, many questions in this ar ea remain, some of which are identified and discussed.