Cooling in reduced period optical lattices: non-zero Raman detuning

In a previous paper [Phys. Rev. A 72, 033415 (2005)], it was shown that sub-Doppler cooling occurs in a standing-wave Raman scheme (SWRS) that can lead to reduced period optical lattices. These calculations are extended to allow for non-zero detuning of the Raman transitions. New physical phenomena are encountered, including cooling to non-zero velocities, combinations of Sisyphus and "corkscrew" polarization cooling, and somewhat unusual origins of the friction force. The calculations are carried out in a semi-classical approximation and a dressed state picture is introduced to aid in the interpretation of the results

Recoil-Induced-Resonances in Nonlinear, Ground-State, Pump-Probe Spectroscopy

A theory of pump-probe spectroscopy is developed in which optical fields drive two-photon Raman transitions between ground states of an ensemble of three-level $\Lambda$ atoms. Effects related to the recoil the atoms undergo as a result of their interactions with the fields are fully accounted for in this theory. The linear absorption coefficient of a weak probe field in the presence of two pump fields of arbitrary strength is calculated. For subrecoil cooled atoms, the spectrum consists of eight absorption lines and eight emission lines. In the limit that $\chi_{1}\ll \chi_{2}$, where $\chi_{1}$ and $\chi_{2}$ are the Rabi frequencies of the two pump fields, one recovers the absorption spectrum for a probe field interacting with an effective two-level atom in the presence of a single pump field. However when $\chi_{1}\gtrsim \chi_{2}$, new interference effects arise that allow one to selectively turn on and off some of these recoil induced resonances.Comment: 30 pages, 8 figures. RevTex. Submitted to Phys. Rev. A, Revised versio

Electromagnetic Transition in Waveguide with Application to Lasers

The electromagnetic transition of two-level atomic systems in a waveguide is calculated. Compared with the result in free space, the spontaneous emission rate decrease because the phase space is smaller, and meanwhile, some resonance appears in some cases. Moreover, the influence of non-uniform electromagnetic field in a waveguide on absorption and stimulated emission is considered. Applying the results to lasers, a method to enhance the laser power is proposed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Atom gratings produced by large angle atom beam splitters

An asymptotic theory of atom scattering by large amplitude periodic potentials is developed in the Raman-Nath approximation. The atom grating profile arising after scattering is evaluated in the Fresnel zone for triangular, sinusoidal, magneto-optical, and bichromatic field potentials. It is shown that, owing to the scattering in these potentials, two \QTR{em}{groups} of momentum states are produced rather than two distinct momentum components. The corresponding spatial density profile is calculated and found to differ significantly from a pure sinusoid.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

λ8\frac{\lambda}{8}-period optical potentials

A Raman configuration of counterpropagating traveling wave fields, one of which is $lin\bot lin$ polarized and the other $lin\Vert lin$ polarized, is shown to lead to optical potentials having $\frac{\lambda}{8}$ periodicity. Such optical potentials may be used to construct optical lattices having $\frac{\lambda}{8}$ periodicity. Using numerical diagonalization, we obtain the optical potentials for $^{\text{85}}$Rb atoms.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figure

Doppler-Free Spectroscopy of Weak Transitions: An Analytical Model Applied to Formaldehyde

Experimental observation of Doppler-free signals for weak transitions can be greatly facilitated by an estimate for their expected amplitudes. We derive an analytical model which allows the Doppler-free amplitude to be estimated for small Doppler-free signals. Application of this model to formaldehyde allows the amplitude of experimentally observed Doppler-free signals to be reproduced to within the experimental error.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, v2: many small improvements + corrected line assignmen

Self-Similarity in Random Collision Processes

Kinetics of collision processes with linear mixing rules are investigated analytically. The velocity distribution becomes self-similar in the long time limit and the similarity functions have algebraic or stretched exponential tails. The characteristic exponents are roots of transcendental equations and vary continuously with the mixing parameters. In the presence of conservation laws, the velocity distributions become universal.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Trapped-Atom-Interferometer in a Magnetic Microtrap

We propose a configuration of a magnetic microtrap which can be used as an interferometer for three-dimensionally trapped atoms. The interferometer is realized via a dynamic splitting potential that transforms from a single well into two separate wells and back. The ports of the interferometer are neighboring vibrational states in the single well potential. We present a one-dimensional model of this interferometer and compute the probability of unwanted vibrational excitations for a realistic magnetic potential. We optimize the speed of the splitting process in order suppress these excitations and conclude that such interferometer device should be feasible with currently available microtrap technique.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, submitted to PR

Momentum transfer using chirped standing wave fields: Bragg scattering

We consider momentum transfer using frequency-chirped standing wave fields. Novel atom-beam splitter and mirror schemes based on Bragg scattering are presented. It is shown that a predetermined number of photon momenta can be transferred to the atoms in a single interaction zone.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Quantum interference in the fluorescence of a molecular system

It has been observed experimentally [H.R. Xia, C.Y. Ye, and S.Y. Zhu, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 77}, 1032 (1996)] that quantum interference between two molecular transitions can lead to a suppression or enhancement of spontaneous emission. This is manifested in the fluorescent intensity as a function of the detuning of the driving field from the two-photon resonance condition. Here we present a theory which explains the observed variation of the number of peaks with the mutual polarization of the molecular transition dipole moments. Using master equation techniques we calculate analytically as well as numerically the steady-state fluorescence, and find that the number of peaks depends on the excitation process. If the molecule is driven to the upper levels by a two-photon process, the fluorescent intensity consists of two peaks regardless of the mutual polarization of the transition dipole moments. If the excitation process is composed of both a two-step one-photon process and a one-step, two-photon process, then there are two peaks on transitions with parallel dipole moments and three peaks on transitions with antiparallel dipole moments. This latter case is in excellent agreement with the experiment.Comment: 11 pages, including 8 figure