Dynamics of a three-level atom in a resonant light field

The paper is devoted to a consideration of the motion of a three-level atom in two resonant light waves. A kinetic equation of the Fokker-Planck type for the atomic distribution function is derived, which is valid when the recoil energy is small compared to the linewidths of the resonant transitions. The detailed behaviour of the radiation force and the diffusion tensor are studied numerically. The case of exact resonance and the nonresonant case are both considered. It is shown that a detuning from exact resonance results in a drastic decrease of the resonant light pressure force. For the detuning we determine the condition, under which an efficient action of the light pressure on a three-level atom takes place.