A radiation-pressure force, changing only slightly within the wavelength of light (rectification effect), has been shown to arise in interfering fields. In a monochromatic field a rectified force (RF) has the scale of a spontaneous light-pressure force, and it is mainly a vortex one. In a bichromatic field the RF has the order of magnitude of the induced light-pressure force and does saturate in a strong field. The spatial RF structure can be either potential or rotational. The depth of the potential wells generated by the RF can exceed by several orders of magnitude the energy of the atom—field interaction, and it can reach 10 K and larger. A vortex periodic RF results either in regular rotating motion or in a random walk of atoms along the boundaries of elementary cells of the force field. Possible applications of the RF are discussed.

© 1989 Optical Society of America

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