Abstract

Transmission of light through an atomic sample placed between crossed polarizers in a magnetic field is jointly determined by Faraday rotation and net absorption: Transmission increases with rotation and decreases with absorption. Both rotation and absorption are proportional to the atomic density $N_0;$ hence, in a certain range of $N_0,$ the two effects may compete, yielding a distinct density dependence of the transmitted light. We have studied such dependence in rubidium vapor for $N_0$ of approximately $6.0\times {10}^9$ to $3.0\times {10}^{11} \mathrm{atoms}/{\mathrm{cm}}^3$ with resonant laser light. We present interpretation of the competition effect and discuss its possible application for atomic density determination.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

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