[Effect of saturation and velocity selective population in 6S1/2 --> 6P3/2 laser excitation in Cs vapor mixed with Ar].

The excited state population distribution created by 6S1/2 --> 6P3/2 laser excitation in room temperature cesium vapor mixed with Ar was quantitatively analyzed applying absorption and saturation spectroscopy. A simple method for the determination of the excited state population in a single excitation step based on the measurements of the saturated and unsaturated absorption coefficients was tested. When the line profile is nearly pure Doppler and the laser linewidth is much smaller than the inhomogeneous linewidth but comparable with homogeneous linewidth, the fraction N(v(z)) of the atoms in the ground state that are able to absorb under inhomogeneous broadening conditions can be determined.