Abstract Using electromotive force (EMF) signals induced in a pickup coil, the relaxation of magnetization induced in rubidium atomic vapor under two-pulse nonresonant laser excitation has been investigated. The relaxation time of magnetization to its equilibrium value was found to depend on the vapor pressure and temperature. An EMF signal induced by photon echo generation was also experimentally recorded. The magnetic component of the detected signal was isolated from the accompanying electrical component using a differential transformer arrangement, confirming that the observed delayed microsecond signals originate from changes in the magnetic flux associated with the vapor.