Quantum theory of resonance fluorescence with recoil effects

Abstract

A quantum statistical theory of resonance fluorescence, which is valid to all orders in the interaction with the laser field and which takes the recoil into account by explicit quantization of the center of mass motion, is presented. The recoil shifts are calculated both in the limit of weak and strong fields. In the limit of strong fields and when the laser field is at resonance with the atomic frequency, the theory predicts essentially a symmetric spectrum, centered at the recoil shifted frequency.