Zeeman Effect at 339 Microns in a Helium–Neon Laser

Abstract

Homogeneous and inhomogeneous dc magnetic fields of the order of 100 G have been applied to lasers operating on the high gain line at 3.39 μ. The effect of a homogeneous field is to split out Zeeman components in agreement with the work done on helium–xenon lasers by Fork and Patel. The effect of an inhomogeneous field is to broaden the line and thereby decrease its gain. The significance of these effects in maintaining the population balance in a laser putting out visible light is discussed.