Preparation of atomic velocities by bound-state to resonance conversion

A procedure is proposed to control the average and width of the velocity distribution of ultra-cold atoms. The atoms are set initially in a bound state of an optical trap formed by an inner red detuned laser and an outer blue detuned laser. The bound state is later converted into a resonance by a suitable change of the laser intensities. An optimal time dependence of the switching process, between the sudden and adiabatic limits, adjusts the final translational energies to the Lorentzian shape of the resonance state.