Normal modes for plasmonic nanolasers with dispersive and inhomogeneous media

We derive the quasi-orthogonality condition of optical modes in a dispersive and inhomogeneous medium. This condition leads to the proper normalization rule of the optical field in a general linear medium with inhomogeneity. The derived rule also provides a physically meaningful method in estimating the magnitude of the field-enhanced spontaneous and stimulated emission rates, for example, in a microcavity or nanocavity. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 270.3430, 250.5403.