Combined effect of non-linear optical and collisional processes on absorption saturation in a dense rubidium vapour

We study non-linear absorption of intense monochromatic light through a dense natural rubidium (Rb) vapour. We measure transmission through a 10 cm long heated vapour cell for atom densities up to 3 x 10(19) m(-3)and saturation parameters up to 10(4), for linear and circular polarisation, close to resonance on the(87)Rb D2F= 1 -> F ' = 0, 1, 2 transition. The strong absorption at low intensity is frustrated by an interplay of optical non-linearities (saturation and optical pumping) and non-linear effects due to the high atom density (collisional broadening and collisional depumping). To understand the results of the transmission measurements, we developed a model that incorporates these non-linear effects into the optical absorption. The model takes into account the absolute line strengths of all transitions from both hyperfine levels of the ground state of both isotopes of naturally abundant Rb. Doppler and collisional broadening are included in the Voigt profiles for the resonances. We show the effect of each of the non-linear processes on the calculation results of the model, and from comparison with experiment we conclude that all non-linear effects are necessary for a quantitative agreement.