Mechanical Hanle effect

This paper describes an experiment where the Hanle effect in the ground state of an atomic transition is detected, not by a modification of the light absorbed or reemitted by the atoms, but by a modification of the atomic trajectories. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical predictions of two calculations, the first one considering only the steady-state regime, the second one including the effects of the transient phenomena which take place when the atom enters the laser beam. (orig.)