Non-classical properties of the e.m. near field of an atom in spontaneous light emission

We use Glauber’s correlation function as well as the Green functions formalism to investigate, in the case of a dipolar atomic transition, the causal behaviour of the spontaneously emitted electromagnetic field, in the A.p coupling. This brings us to examine the role played by the longitudinal electric field, which is not described in terms of photonic (transverse) degrees of freedom.