Motion of an atom due to anisotropic filtering of its resonance fluorescence

The effect of the specific anisotropy of the environment on the dynamics of a resonantly fluorescing atom is analyzed in a one-dimensional model. The environmental anisotropy, which is manifested as different spectral selectivities of the absorption of spontaneous photons emitted by the atom in different directions, results in the anisotropy of the photon emission rate giving rise to a nonzero recoil force on the atom. The effect under optimal conditions can reach one-quarter of the recoil momentum per single photon emission. This force is directed toward the weaker spectral selectivity.