Atomic diffraction in counter-propagating Gaussian pulses of laser light

TL;DR

This paper derives an analytical expression for atomic diffraction caused by counter-propagating Gaussian laser pulses, valid beyond the Raman-Nath regime, and confirms its accuracy through comparison with experiments and numerical solutions.

Contribution

The paper provides the first accurate analytical formula for atomic diffraction in the channeling regime, extending beyond the traditional Raman-Nath approximation.

Findings

Analytical expression matches experimental data

Valid in both Raman-Nath and channeling regimes

Improves understanding of atomic diffraction dynamics

Abstract

We present an analysis of atomic diffraction due to the interaction of an atomic beam with a pair of Gaussian light pulses. We derive a simple analytical expression for the populations in different diffraction orders. The validity of the obtained solution extends beyond the Raman-Nath regime, where the kinetic energy associated with different diffraction peaks is neglected, into the so-called channeling regime where accurate analytical expressions have not previously been available for the diffraction. Comparison with experimental results and exact numerical solutions demonstrate the validity of our analytical formula.