  The rate of spontaneous emission is known to depend on the environment of a
light source, and the enhancement of one-photon emission in a resonant cavity
is known as the Purcell effect. Here we develop a theory of spontaneous
two-photon emission for a general electromagnetic environment including
inhomogeneous dispersive and absorptive media. This theory is used to evaluate
the two-photon Purcell enhancement in the vicinity of metallic nanoparticles
and it is demonstrated that the surface plasmon resonances supported by these
particles can enhance the emission rate by more than two orders of magnitude.
The control over two-photon Purcell enhancement given by tailored
nanostructured environments could provide an emitter with any desired spectral
response and may serve as an ultimate route for designing light sources with
novel properties.
