Angular Spectrum of the Spontaneous Emission from Dye Molecules Near a Boundary

Abstract

We studied experimentally the angular spectrum of the light emitted from dye Molecules near a plane boundary. It is confirmed that the molecules near the boundary can emit light into the evanescent wave mode, and the light emission with the angle greater than the critical angle is detected with good accuracy. The angular spectrum of the spontaneous radiation is measured, and the spectrum shows contributions from the molecules both near and far away from the boundary. The polarization dependence and the pumping angle dependence are also measured. The experimental results are in good agreement with quantum theory.