  We construct 3-D solutions of Maxwell's equations that describe Gaussian
light beams focused by a strong lens. We investigate the interaction of such
beams with single atoms in free space and the interplay between angular and
quantum properties of the scattered radiation. We compare the exact results
with those obtained with paraxial light beams and from a standard input-output
formalism. We put our results in the context of quantum information processing
with single atoms.
