The scattering of atoms by forces of stimulated light pressure

Stimulated light pressure under conditions where the resonance transition is strongly saturated is investigated theoretically and experimentally for times of interaction between the atom and the field that are less than the time of spontaneous emission. Experimental techniques are described for investigating the scattering of a beam of atoms by the field of a standing light wave. Experimental relations are presented which relate the scattering efficiency to the magnitude of the electric field and the resonance detuning. These experimental relations are then compared with the results obtained from calculations that use the effective potential and are based on a quasi-classical description of the motion of atoms in the field of a light wave. It is shown that the scattering efficiency of atoms by forces of stimulated light pressure is of the order of unity even in comparatively weak (100-1000 V/cm) fields of laser radiation.