Atomic Momentum Diffusion in the Field of Counter-Propagating Stochastic Light Waves

Abstract

The momentum diffusion of atoms in the field of two counter-propagating stochastic waves, one of which reproduces the other one with a certain time delay, has been studied. It is shown that the parameters of atom-field interaction, at which the light pressure force is maximum, correspond to the increasing momentum diffusion coefficient. In the case of high-intensity field described by the stochastic field model, the momentum diffusion coefficient was found to be proportional to the square root of the field autocorrelation time. The wave function describing the inner state of atoms is modeled, by using the Monte-Carlo method. Numerical calculations are carried out for cesium atoms.

Spatial Distribution of Atoms in the Field of Intersecting Standing Bichromatic Light Waves

“…In the field of lowintensity laser radiation, when the population of the excited state is insignificant, the light pressure force and the momentum diffusion coefficient are equal to the sum of the corresponding quantities for each of the counter-propagating waves [28]. We used this approximation earlier to simulate the momentum diffusion in the field of counter-propagating light pulses of low intensity [18], as well as for estimation of momentum diffusion in the field of bichromatic [19], stochastic [20,29] and frequency-modulated [21] light waves.…”