Abstract

In addition to its known spectroscopic effect as an energy vector, coherent light presents some genuine mechanical properties, which are increasingly studied. Translational cooling in frequency chirped radiation¹ is the most intensively described. The force implied is generally recognized as recoil associated with spontaneous emission of radiation (Lorentz force). It may be shown that the same force also causes resonant particles to be driven toward the high-intensity region of inhomogeneous (Gaussian) profiled laser beams.²

© 1987 Optical Society of America