Asymmetric line shapes for weak transitions in strong standing-wave fields

Abstract

We have observed the resonance line shape for a very weak atomic transition excited when an atomic beam intersects a strong standing-wave laser field. The line shape has a dramatic intensity-dependent distortion which is Doppler free and independent of the excitation rate. We have calculated the line shape predicted by optical Bloch equations that include a spatially varying ac Stark shift, and find good agreement with our experimental results.