Ultracold atom-atom collisions in a nonresonant laser field

Using a recently developed approach for treating the three-dimensional anisotropic scattering we find considerable influence of a nonresonant laser field with intensity I ≥ 10 5 W/cm 2 on the Cs-Cs ultracold collisions. Strong dependence on the laser wavelength λ L is shown at the optical region as λ L becomes shorter than the critical value λ 0 ∼ 3000 nm (of the atomic de Broglie wave A) defining the region λ 0 ≤ A of the s-wave domination in the absence of the external field. Dependence on the laser polarization is also essential. The found effect can be applicable for controlling atom-atom interactions at ultralow temperatures.