THEORY OF OPTICAL SUPPRESSION OF ULTRACOLD-COLLISION RATES BY POLARIZED-LIGHT

We have developed a full three-dimensional quantum scattering approach to optical suppression of ultracold-collision rates. These calculatio ns are carried out assuming colliding atoms without fine or hyperfine structure, which have a S-1-->P-1 transition. The three-dimensional mo del predicts that the optical suppression of ultracold-collision rates saturates with light intensity much more slowly than predicted by two -level curve-crossing models. Circularly polarized light is significan tly more effective for optical suppression, and causes less increase i n atomic kinetic energy due to excited-state production than linearly polarized light. The suppressor optical field can also cause orders of magnitude increases in ground-state elastic-scattering rates.