Quantitative characteristics of pressure-induced degenerate frequency resonance in four-wave mixing with continuous-wave laser beams.

The linewidth and intensity of the four-wave degenerate mixing signal in Na vapor have been observed as functions of He buffer-gas pressure with cw single-mode dye-laser beams. The width is independent of He pressure, and a quantitative comparison with theory is made. We also report the observation of a new effect, a four-wave mixing Raman-type resonance between two equally populated hyperfine levels.