Faraday Effect in Molecules

Abstract

The relationship between the measured Verdet constants of a number of molecules and the quantum‐mechanical theory of the Faraday effect is examined. The observed behavior of nitric oxide, which is significantly different from that of the diamagnetic gases, is explained by a consideration of the effect on the Verdet constant of the transition from the ${}^2{\Pi }_{\frac{3}{2}}$ state to the ²Σ state lying at 44 000 cm^—1.