A new kind of saturation spectroscopy is discussed in which the direction and polarization of a nonsaturating probe wave is varied with respect to that of a saturating wave. Angular momenta, Landé $g$ values, and atomic lifetimes are obtained with greater ease than with earlier Zeeman laser methods. In particular, the theory is dramatically simplified.

• Received 24 November 1975

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.14.524