Phase Effects in Bichromatic Field Interactions with a Two-Level Atom

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Abstract
Phase-dependent resonance transitions induced in two-level atoms by a bichromatic field are reported. Strong phase effects are observed in the interaction of a fast atomic beam with a standing-wave rf field. In the atomic rest frame, this field consists of two components with different frequencies and a controlled initial phase difference. Numerical calculations including well-defined phase factors are performed in the time-dependent density matrix formalism. The observed effects are in excellent agreement with this theory.