Surface effects influencing the single-atom spontaneous emission in a linear atomic chain

Abstract

As a contribution to quantum optics in the vicinity of surfaces we study the single atom spontaneous emission in a linear chain of two-level atoms. The electromagnetic field is thereby treated with the help of integro-differential equations which take into account the interaction with the other atoms in the chain. The life time of the excited atom, the frequency shift of the atomic transition and the angular distribution of emitted photons are worked out. They depend on the position of the emitting atom. As compared with the single atom in free space, considerable modifications occur for atoms a few interatomic distances away from the ends of the chain.