Optical Force on Two-level Atoms by Few-cycle Pulsed Gaussian Laser field beyond the Rotating Wave Approximation

Abstract

We report a study on light force on a beam of neutral two-level atoms superimposed upon a few-cycle pulsed Gaussian laser field under both resonant and off-resonant condition. The phenomena of focusing, defocusing and steering of the neutral atoms in the laser field is analysed by solving the optical Bloch equation beyond the rotating wave approximation and the force equation self-consistently .We find that two-level atoms in an atomic beam could be focused and defocused for large, positively and negatively detuned interaction even in the regime of extreme nonlinear optics. The so-called optical potential may be used for stable trapping of the neutral two-level atoms for large positively detuned interaction. This work successfully reproduces some of the features reported in recent experimental and theoretical works.