Abstract

Dephasieg-induced phenomena are a novel class of effects that are ordinarily forbidden because the two or more relevant quantum-mechanical amplitudes add coherently and cancel out.¹ When dephasing is present, however, these amplitudes no longer cancel, and previously unseen effects can be observed. Indeed, a number of novel dephasing-induced phenomena have been seen.^2-5 Of particular interest, both for fundamental reasons and for diagnostic purposes, are (third-order) dephasing-induced resonances between equally populated levels of a ground electronic state,^6,7 specifically, Zeeman and hyperfine coherences. Working with a sodium-seeded flame, we⁸ have observed these latter effects and, at higher intensities, subharmonics of them.

© 1988 Optical Society of America