Optical limitation in resonant Faraday media

Abstract

Optical limitation in resonant Faraday media sandwiched between crossed polarizers is analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. In this technique resonant Faraday rotation permits a net transmission at low intensity levels, whereas the setup transmission is quenched at higher intensities when the active transition is completely saturated. This technique offers many advantages, such as a very low fluence threshold ($\sim 12 \mathrm{nJ}/{\mathrm{cm}}^2$ in cesium vapor), a high intensity range (more than 4 orders of magnitude for polarizer losses of ${10}^{-5}$), and quasi invulnerability to optical damage, which make this technique attractive for the protection of fixed-wavelength operated detectors.

© 2000 Optical Society of America

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