Saturation Effect
Saturation Effect
the decrease in the intensity of a spectral line (an absorption or emission line) with increasing power of the external resonant electromagnetic radiation. The saturation effect is caused by the equalization of the populations of two energy levels between which stimulated transitions take place as a result of resonance radiation. The saturation effect is observed when the power of the resonance radiation reaches the level at which the probability of stimulated transitions owing to the radiation is greater than the probability of relaxation or spontaneous radiative transitions. The saturation effect limits the power that can be generated by a laser.