Properties
A technical definition of an atomic line filter is as an "ultra-narrow-band, large-acceptance-angle, isotropic optical filter". "Ultra-narrow-band" defines the thin range of frequencies that an ALF may accept; an ALF generally has a passband on the order of 0.001 nanometer. That atomic line filters also have wide acceptance angles (near 180°) is another important characteristic of the devices; conventional dielectric filters based on the spacing of reflective or refractive layers change their effective spacing when light enters at an angle.
The exact parameters (temperature, magnetic field strength, length, etc.) of any filter may be tuned to a specific application. These values are calculated by computers due to the extreme complexity of the systems.
Read more about this topic: Atomic Line Filter
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