Abstract

Rectified dipole forces on two-level atoms in a bichromatic standing wave have been proposed¹ and observed.² Rectification, which results in the force maintaining its sign over a macroscopic distance, has obvious implications for making deep potential wells for atoms. The basic rectification effect arises from a combination of two effects that vary on the scale of an optical wavelength: (1) modulation of the atom’s resonant frequency by the ac Stark shift, and (2) modulation of the dipole force by the intensity gradient of the standing wave. The wavelength-averaged force depends on the relative phase of these two modulations, which varies spatially with the beat wavelength between the two lasers.

© 1993 Optical Society of America