Coherent amplitude modulation of continuous-wave light in cesium vapor

We report on observations of coherent, sustained oscillations in the absorption of continuous-wave light at 388 nm that excites the $6S_{1/2}\rightarrow 8P_{3/2}$ transition in cesium vapor. The oscillation frequency is close to the spacing of hyperfine levels of the $8P_{3/2}$ level that are excited simultaneously by the 388 nm field. We observe threshold behavior of the oscillation amplitude with pump power, and suggest that the effect is associated with infrared directional emission due to amplified spontaneous emission from the $8P_{3/2}\rightarrow 8S_{1/2}$ transition, that is assisted by retro-reflections from the cell windows. The effect may be used to probe a lasing process in an atomic vapor, by checking the temporal properties of the pump field transmitted through the vapor.