Light shift and light broadening in the Rb-87 maser.

A description of measurements of light-shift and light-broadening parameters for an Rb-87 maser operating between the field independent levels is reported. A parallel study of the spectral profile of the D1 pumping line is described. Comparison between the experimental results and theoretical calculations, taking into account the spatial inhomogeneity of the pumping light in the absorption cell, is presented.