Interaction Between Atoms and Structured Light Fields

Structured light encompasses a vast variety of light fields. It has unique properties such as non-uniform transverse intensity and a polarization pattern across their beam cross-sections. In this contribution, we discuss the photoexcitation of a single ionic target system driven by different sets of structured light modes. Specifically, we provide a compilation of transition amplitudes for various structured light modes interacting with atomic systems based on the first-order perturbation theory. To illustrate this, we will choose an electric quadrupole transition (4sS1/22→3dD5/22) in the target Ca+ ion driven by a structured light field. For this particular interaction, we examine how the beam parameters affect the population of magnetic sub-levels in the atomic excited state.