Interaction of a decaying atom with a linearly polarized oscillating field

Abstract

The Schrodinger equation for the interaction of a decaying two-level atom with an external oscillating field is separated via a series of matrix transformations into a time independent and a time dependent part; the former yields the radiofrequency Stark shift for decaying states, the latter is normally negligible for atomic beam resonance experiments. In the limit of stable states, or for the case of two levels of equal lifetime, the shift reduces to that of the Bloch-Siegert effect. Exact analytical expressions for the state amplitudes are obtained for the case when the time dependent matrix can be neglected; the resulting transition probabilities are investigated as functions of frequency, time, and interaction strength and are compared with the rotating field theory and the exact numerical solutions.