Abstract

In the vicinity of an atomic absorption line the Faraday effect, i.e. the rotation of the plane of polarization of light propagating through a medium in a longitudinal magnetic field may be enhanced by several orders of magnitude due to optical pumping. This effect, which depends on the light intensity is called non-linear Faraday effect (NLFE) and is by its nature a ground state level crossing. It is characterized by a narrow dispersive resonance in the magnetic field dependence.

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