Nonlinear Amplitude-Phase Effects in Selective Reflection from a Resonance Gas

Selective reflection of a laser wave from a resonance gas is considered for arbitrary intensity, polarization, and angle of incidence on the interface. Variations of the reflection spectra nonlinear in the wave amplitude are studied taking into account the nonlinear increment of the optical phase upon reflection. The result of this increment is a quadrature component of the reflected wave shifted by a quarter period, which may be observed using the homodyning technique (optical mixing). The regularities studied are of interest both for spectroscopy and for nonlinear transformations in the quantum statistics of reflected light.