NONLINEAR INTERACTION OF A TWO-LEVEL ATOM WITH COUNTER-PROPAGATING RADIATION BEAMS OF DIFFERENT FREQUENCIES
Mkrtchian G.F.

Received: April 23, 2008

PACS: 37.10.Vz, 37.10.De, 37.10.Gh

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The theoretical and numerical results on the nonlinear dynamics of an atom in the fields of two counter-propagating radiation beams of different frequencies are presented. Both resonant and nonresonant interaction regimes are investigated. The atom center-of-mass energy dependence on the field amplitudes manifests the nonlinear threshold effect of an atom reflection in the interference field. This phenomenon leads to the atom acceleration or deceleration depending on its initial state. This acceleration/deceleration is of a shock character because of the impact with the moving potential barrier; it occurs at ultrashort distances of the order of radiation field wavelengths. Furthermore, the role of initial conditions is discussed and analyzed numerically.