Two field nonlinear Faraday rotation in rubidium vapor in a Doppler-free geometry

Nonlinear Faraday rotation with counter-propagating light beams was investigated in a rubidium vapor cell. Observations across all hyperfine and crossover resonances of the D2 line of 87Rb atoms were made. Additionally, rotation spectra as a function of pump and probe intensity, pump polarization and external magnetic field strength were studied.The investigations were performed in a regime where the pump beam power was sufficiently low relative to the probe power to avoid polarization rotation due to pump-induced anisotropy. Our results are analyzed in the context of Bennett structures and coherent optical processes.