S. Dangel et R. Holzner, DYNAMICS OF LIGHT-PATTERN FORMATION OF POLARIZED LASER-BEAMS PROPAGATING THROUGH SODIUM VAPOR, Journal of the Optical Society of America. B, Optical physics, 15(2), 1998, pp. 594-606
The interaction of polarized laser beams and sodium vapor can lead to
a variety of intensity and polarization patterns owing to optical-pump
ing-induced refractive-index variations along and transverse to the be
am-propagation direction. While the steady-state behavior has been obs
erved and described in the past, the modeling of the dynamics of the p
attern formation processes has become possible only recently. We prese
nt the first, to our knowledge, three-dimensional simulations of the d
ynamics of beam bouncing, beam switching, and beam splitting and the d
eflection of a laser beam by the inhomogeneous magnetic field of a cur
rent-carrying wire. Numerical algorithms used for the calculations and
experimental aspects for future observations are discussed. (C) 1998
Optical Society of America.