Physical Review Letters
Observation of Coherent Transient Birefringence in C S2 Vapor
J.P. Heritage, T. Kenneth Gustafson, C. H. Lin
Abstract
We have observed short-duration birefringence in C${\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ vapor 38 and 76 psec after excitation with a mode-locked (\ensuremath{\sim} 5 psec duration) 1.06-\ensuremath{\mu}m glass: ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ laser pulse. These bursts are attributed to the time evolution of a coherent sum of rotational superposition states.