A single atom in free space as a quantum aperture

We calculate exact 3-D solutions of Maxwell equations corresponding to strongly focused light beams, and study their interaction with a single atom in free space. We show how the naive picture of the atom as an absorber with a size given by its radiative cross section $\sigma =3\lambda ^{2}/2\pi$ must be modified. The implications of these results for quantum information processing capabilities of trapped atoms are discussed.