Effect of metallic surface on electric dipole and magnetic dipole emission transitions in Eu^3+ doped polymeric film

Spontaneous emission of Eu(3+) ions is studied in thin organic films deposited onto several different substrates. It has been demonstrated that the presence of a metallic surface in close vicinity to emitting Eu(3+) ions causes modifications of their spontaneous emission spectra, in particular, the change in the relative strengths of magnetic-dipole and electric-dipole transitions. The character and the magnitude of the effect depend on the polarization and the observation angle. The experimental data are discussed in terms of modification of transition probabilities and account for the interference between directly emitted and reflected light waves.