Optics and Spectroscopy
The effect of the ionic level population on the nonlinear resonances of higher order spatial harmonics
Oleg V. Belai, David A. Shapiro
Abstract
The probe field spectrum of a three-level A scheme with a strong standing wave at the adjacent transition is calculated numerically taking into account velocity-varying collisions. It is shown that even a small population of the upper level changes the shape of the spectrum and increases the absorption in the line center. Taking into account the excitation of the level and the saturation of the adjacent transition allows a quantitative explanation of the experiment on argon ions in plasma of a high-current discharge.