Quantum and semiclassical calculations of cold-atom collisions in light fields

K. A. Suominen, Y. B. Band, I. Tuvi, K. Burnett, P. S. Julienne

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

We derive and apply an optical Bloch equation (OBE) model for describing collisions of ground and excited laser cooled alkali atoms in the presence of near-resonant light. Typically these collisions lead to loss of atoms from traps. We compare the results obtained with a quantum mechanical complex potential treatment, semiclassical Landau-Zener models with decay, and a quantum time-dependent Monte Carlo wave packet (MCWP) calculation. We formulate the OBE method in both adiabatic and diabatic representations. We calculate the laser intensity dependence of collision probabilities and find that the adiabatic OBE results agree quantitatively with those of the MCWP calculation, and qualitatively with the semiclassical Landau-Zener model with delayed decay, but that the complex potential method or the traditional Landau-Zener model fail in the saturation limit.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3724-3738
Number of pages15
JournalPhysical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Volume57
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 1998

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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