Inhibition of spontaneous emission in a microscopic optical cavity

The authors report the experimental evidence of spontaneous emission inhibition in an optical cavity. On the basis of their results they discuss possible applications of this novel method in atomic and molecular spectroscopy in various conditions including picosecond and femtosecond optical excitation with interplay with processes of stimulated radiation, Lamb shifts, and optical bistability. A general theory of the atomic fundamental processes taking place in a microscopic cavity and based on quantum electrodynamics is presented