Self-Induced Transparency and Resonant Self-Focusing in Atomic Iodine Vapor
J. J. Bannister, H. J. Baker, Terence A. King +1 more
Self-induced transparency has been observed for the degenerate, $F=3\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4$, hyperfine component of the 1.315-\ensuremath{\mu}m magnetic dipole transition of atomic iodine, at high optical power levels, up to 50 MW ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. For pulse areas approaching $2\ensuremath{\pi}$, the dynamics of the strong coherent resonant self-focusing which accompanies self-induced transparency have been studied with a streak camera to provide time-dependent analysis of the spatial beam profile.
Physical Review Letters•Apr 21, 1980•27 citations