Vortical force exerted on atoms in resonance light
V. E. Shapiro
The work is aimed at drawing attention to peculiar properties and the considerable magnitude of the vortical part of the light force which make it important for light-induced effects of atomic drift, cooling and trapping in gas. The author introduces basic notions that specify the vortical force, determine its properties and the functional structure and give estimates in the weak-field limit. The vortical force like the light gradient force and the light frictional force sharply increases in the light field resonantly exciting the atom, but depends quite differently on the resonance detunings, wavevectors, polarisation and light wave phases. The results give insight into how to control the vortex effect of light under what conditions it dominates critically the effect of light friction and gradient forces.
Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Jul 14, 1990•3 citations