MAGNETIC-FIELD GRADIENTS AND PARTICLE DENSITY EFFECTS IN 2ND-HARMONIC GENERATION IN SODIUM VAPOR

A single-frequency c. w. dyelaser has been used to study the properties of second-harmonic generation in sodium vapor induced by a magnetic field. Theoretical modeling shows that the phase as well as the magnitude of the generated second harmonic depends on the magnetic field strength. By using an appropriate magnetic field gradient it is thus possible to reduce the effects of phase-velocity mismatching, and this has been demonstrated experimentally. The effects of buffer gas pressure on second-harmonic generation have also been studied.