  After giving a summary of the basic-theoretical concept of quantization of
the electromagnetic field in the presence of dispersing and absorbing
(macroscopic) bodies, their effect on spontaneous decay of an excited atom is
studied. Various configurations such as bulk material, planar half space media,
spherical cavities, and microspheres are considered. In particular, the
influence of material absorption on the local-field correction, the decay rate,
the line shift, and the emission pattern are examined. Further, the interplay
between radiative losses and losses due to material absorption is analyzed.
Finally, the possibility of generating entangled states of two atoms coupled by
a microsphere-assisted field is discussed.
