Light amplification and scattering by clusters made of small active particles: the local perturbation approach

The light amplification by finite active media is used extensively in modern optics applications. In this paper the light amplification and scattering by cluster of small particles is studied analytically and numerically with the help of the local perturbation method and phenomenological laser theory. It is shown that light amplification is possible even for one small particle, and that the amplification is more profound when the light frequency nears the frequency of the cluster's morphological resonance. Theoretical discussions are supplemented by numerical results for scattering by clusters which particles positioned at ordered and at slightly disordered positions.