EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL-STUDIES ON POPULATION TRAPPING IN GD VAPOR

We have observed population trapping in a three-level lambda atomic system under pulsed laser excitation and in the presence of ionization loss from the common upper level. The measured spectrum showed a good agreement with the numerical results. From the view point of obtaining as many ions as possible from both lower levels, the numerically calculated results are discussed including the effects of hyperfine structures in the atomic transition.