Interaction of counterpropagating light waves resonant with a transition from a ground degenerate atomic state

智 藤井, 敏雄 伊東

Igor' M Bel'dyugin, A. A. Stepanov, Vladimir A. Shcheglov

A theory is developed of interference interaction of multifrequency counterpropagating laser waves in many-level resonant media. Closed equations are derived for a degenerate two-wave interaction of multifrequency radiation due to cascade transitions in many-level absorbing and amplifying media in the steady-state case with strongly separated frequencies and neglecting molecular diffusion. Three-frequency radiation is used as an example in a comparison with the results obtained neglecting interference of counterpropagating waves.

V. I. Romanenko, Леонід Петрович Яценко

The scattering of an atom in the field of counterpropagating light waves is studied under conditions such that the state of the atom is a superposition of the ground and excited states. For the case in which this superposition is created by the field of a traveling wave, the momentum distribution function of the atom after scattering by a standing wave is found analytically in the approximation of a short interaction time, when the atom’s motion can be neglected. Longer interactions of the atom with the field are studied numerically. We also consider the case of counterpropagating light waves consisting of Gaussian or supergaussian pulses.

明治大学国際交流センター, А. Ч. Измайлов

V. S. Voǐtsekhovich, M. V. Danileǐko, Анатолій Михайлович Негрійко +2 more

The light pressure that results from the transfer of a momentum hk/2π to an atomic particle in the resonant scattering of photons has been studied thoroughly and is widely used to control the motion of atoms, to reduce their kinetic energy, corresponding to temperatures in the range below 1 mK and to reach in future the ultimate frequency standard. For a traveling plane wave the momentum of an atom can be changed significantly only if the interaction of the atom with a laser field can be made cyclic. This is possible if there is a transition from a ground (or metastable) state to a short lived level that decays spontaneously to the lower state. For this case the maximum force is determined by the rate 2γ of the spontaneous decay and is given by Fmax = hkγ/ 2π.

Boris P. Antonyuk