Theory of optical shielding in cold atom beams

Experiments were conducted recently (by Weiner and co-workers) on the optical shielding (suppression) of atomic collisions in cold-atom beams, and its variation with the angle between the polarization direction of the shielding light and the direction of approach of the beam. This case is shown here to be a typical example of an optical collision in which quantum interference may persevere between two incident collision partial waves leading to the same output state. This effect depends on the relative collisional phaseshift of the two interfering channels, as well as on the angle of approach, and will vanish when averaging over the latter (as with collisions in the bulk). The extent of variation of this interference effect with the relative phaseshift is quite broad, and may lead, under favorable conditions, to almost complete shielding at a finite value of the shielding-laser power. The latter observation leaves open the possibility of exerting coherent control over the interference effect in order to optimize the shielding.