Decay rate and decoherence control in coupled dissipative cavities

We give a detailed account of the derivation of a master equation for two-coupled cavities in the presence of dissipation. The analytical solution is presented and physical limits of interest are discussed. Firstly, we show that the decay rate of initial coherent states can be significantly modified if the two cavities have different decay rates and are weakly coupled through a wire. Moreover, we show that also decoherence rates can be substantially altered by manipulation of physical parameters. Conditions for experimental realizations are discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.