Dipole-Dipole Broadened Line Shape in a Partially Excited Dense Atomic Gas

V. A. Sautenkov; H. van Kampen; E. R. Eliel; J. P. Woerdman

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.77.3327

Dipole-Dipole Broadened Line Shape in a Partially Excited Dense Atomic Gas

V. A. Sautenkov, H. van Kampen, E. R. Eliel, and J. P. Woerdman

Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 3327 – Published 14 October 1996

Abstract

We have experimentally investigated the resonance line shape of a partially excited dense atomic rubidium vapor at a density where the binary collision approximation starts to break down. The overall spectral shape is well represented by a simple expression for the dielectric function that includes an excitation-dependent linewidth and shift. The results for the excitation dependence of the linewidth agree with an estimate based on a quasistatic picture of the collisions.