Numerical computation of one-photon mazer resonances for arbitrary field modes

We present a novel approach for solving numerically one-dimensional scatter ing problems and apply it for computing the emission probability of an ultr acold atom interacting with an arbitrary field mode of a high-e cavity. Our method is efficient, stable and succeeds when other numerical integration methods fail. It also replaces and improves advantageously the WKB approxim ation. The cases of sinusoidal, sech(2) and Gaussian field modes are studie d and compared. Divergences with previous works, where WKB was used, are fo und. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.