LIGHT PRESSURE FORCES ON MULTILEVEL ATOMS IN INTENSE POLYCHROMATIC-LIGHT FIELDS - A CONTINUED-FRACTION APPROACH

Described is the application of a matrix form of the continued fraction technique to the calculation of the velocity dependent force experienced by a multi-level atom interacting with a complex optical field. Unlike other techniques, this approach provides a solution which is valid for a wide range of optical field configurations and atomic velocities and which includes the effects of both single and multi-photon processes. As a specific example of this technique the force experienced by a three-level atom (V) in a bichromatic light field is calculated.