The Hanle effect and level crossing spectroscopy in Rb vapour under strong laser excitation

We measure and simulate numerically the Hanle effect and non-zero field level crossing signals in 85 Rb and 87 Rb atoms in a magnetic field at room temperature. Diode laser radiation from 4 mW cm −2 to 3. 3W cm −2 tuned to the D2 absorption line of each isotope excites atoms into all the excited-state hyperfine levels simultaneously inside the unresolved Doppler profile. Polarization fluorescence detection is used to observe dark and bright resonances, as well as non-zero field level crossing resonances, for several excitation lines. A broad spectral line excitation model is applied to analyse the measured signals. The non-linear Zeeman effect is included in the model for both ground and ex…