Abstract

With increasing optical depth k₀L, where k₀ is the line center absorption coefficient and L·is the characteristic dimension of the system, radiation trapping becomes important and changes the optical properties of atomic vapors [1]. When optical pumping in the ground state or saturation of the excited state occurs, the radiation trapping process becomes nonlinear [2, 3, 4]. It should be of considerable importance in the interpretation of nonlinear optical experiments such as self-focusing and -defocusing as well as conical emission.

© 1996 IEEE