Studied within the framework of both classical and quantum-mechanical approaches is the resonance interaction between two atomic dipoles one of which is located inside a dielectric microsphere and the other near its outer surface. The dispersion equation of this system is found. The analysis of this equation in a quasistatic approximation has shown that the behavior of the eigenfrequencies depends in a complex manner on the parameters of the system, and that exact resonance can be achieved, provided the parameters are suitably selected. Based on the solutions of the above equation, relationships are found between the energy-transfer rate and the system parameters. It is demonstrated that as the inside atom approaches the surface of the microsphere, resonance excitation transfer from one atom to the other can take place. Similar results are obtained when using the quantum-mechanical density matrix to define the atomic interaction. The results obtained can be of use in implementing selective microscopy with a nanometer-high spatial resolution.

• Received 3 February 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.58.3235