Effect of field polarizations on recoil resonances

Resumo

The effect field polarization has on the amplitude of recoil-induced resonances is considered for laser-cooled free atoms and for atoms in an operating magneto-optical trap. Explicit analytical expressions for the polarization dependence of resonance amplitudes in perturbation theory are obtained for all closed dipole transitions. Optimum conditions of polarization are found for the observation of resonances.