Theory of Collisionally Aided Radiative Excitation in Three-Level Systems: New Interference Effect

Abstract

Collisionally aided radiative excitation in a three-level atomic system is investigated with use of a stationary-phase method for the case of large atom-field detunings and weak incident fields. It is found that collision-induced coherent phase-interference effects can give rise to oscillatory structure in the total absorption cross section as a function of relative speed (energy). An example is given for a specific interatomic potential, indicating that experimental observation of such an effect is feasible.