Resonances of coherent population trapping in samarium vapours

Resonances of coherent population trapping were detected in atomic vapours of the rare-earth element samarium. The coherent population trapping was produced by two external-cavity diode lasers (672 and 686 nm) in a Λ-system formed by the three levels of ¹⁵⁴Sm: the 4f⁶6s²(⁷F₀) ground state, the first fine-structure 4f⁶6s²(⁷F₁) sublevel of the ground state and the 4f⁶(⁷F)6s6p(³P^o)⁹F^o₁ upper level. The dependence of the spectral shapes and resonance contrasts on the polarisation of the laser beams and the direction of the applied magnetic field was studied. The obtained results were analysed.