Self-bending of a cw laser beam in sodium vapor

Continuous-wave self-deflection of an asymmetrical laser beam, with a deflection angle up to eight diffraction widths, and strong attenuation of the on-axis radiation were achieved in a short sodium-vapor cell. We determined that the nonlinear refractive index Deltan varied almost linearly with intensity I, Deltan approximately n(2)I, with n(2) ~ -10(-7) cm(2)/W at ~200 degrees C and intensities less than 220 W/cm(2).