Praseodymium-doped planar multidielectric microcavities: induced lifetime changes over the emission spectrum

We study lifetime modifications induced by luminescent microcavities in the case of praseodymium-doped planar Ta2O5 - SiO2 multidielectric structures. From the experimental point of view we measure different decay times of the 1D2 excited level for different wavelengths in the inhomogeneous praseodymium emission spectrum. Decay times depend on the spectral detuning between considered ions and the cavity, and we observe significant changes around the resonance wavelength of the microcavity. The decay times are explained with an electromagnetic modal analysis of spontaneous emission developed in the case of less-loss microcavities. [copyright] 2001 Optical Society of America