EFFECTS OF MOTIONAL STATES OF A TRAPPED ATOM ON ITS INTERACTION WITH NONRESONANT LIGHT

We consider modification of an atom-field nonresonant interaction due to the motion of the atom (ion) in a confining potential of the trap. We study the electromagnetic field emitted by the trapped atom for var ious states of its center of mass. In particular, we study the radiati on emitted by the atom when its center of mass is in a superposition o f two quantum states and in a statistical mixture of the two states. W e show that the differences between these cases sire rather elusive. b ut they can be detected when some particular conditions are satisfied. We point out that they can be used as a way to detect the coherence o f the stale of the center of mass. [S1050-2947(98)03401-5].