Nonlocal electrodynamic modeling of fluorescence characteristics for molecules in a spherical cavity

The emission characteristics for molecules in a spherical metallic microcavity are computed using a nonlocal electrodynamic model, based on a theory previously published by Fuchs and Claro [Phys. Rev. B 35, 3722 (1987)] for the multipole polarizability of a sphere. Both radially and tangentially oriented molecules at arbitrary locations inside the cavity are considered, and the results are compared with those from both the local response theory and those for molecules outside a spherical particle. The issue of reciprocity of the solutions for each of the sphere and cavity cases, respectively, is examined in the light of the nonlocal effects. It is observed that for emission frequencies below the surface plasmon frequency of the cavity material, the nonlocal effects in general lead to less surface-induced modifications of the molecular properties, similar to the situation for a spherical particle. However, the reciprocity nature between the solutions for the sphere and cavity disappears in the presence of nonlocal effects.