The amount of asymmetry of saturated-absorption peaks observed outside a cavity with two collinearly counterpropagating Gaussian beams is analyzed at different points in the cross section of the probe beam. Although the total beam exhibits a quasi-symmetric line shape, a spatial distribution of asymmetries with different amounts and signs is obtained versus the distance to the beam axis. A simple model taking account of pure focusing and defocusing effects induced by a saturated Gaussian beam leads to agreement between experiment and theory for the 5944-Å neon line in the case of saturated-absorption spectroscopy.
© 1981 Optical Society of America
Original Manuscript: September 12, 1980
Published: January 1, 1981
A. Le Floch, R. Le Naour, J. M. Lenormand, and G. Jézéquel, "Spatial-asymmetry distribution of a saturated-absorption peak," Opt. Lett. 6, 48-50 (1981)