Magnetic Resonance Reversals in Optically Pumped Alkali-Metal Vapor

We report an unusual new phenomenon, peculiar sign reversals of the ground-state magnetic resonances and of the ``zero-dip" resonance (Zeeman resonance at zero field) of optically-pumped, alkali-metal vapors. These anomalies occur when a ``weak" circular polarized $D$1 laser light is tuned to pump atoms predominantly from the lower ground-state hyperfine multiplet. One can understand the signal reversals in simple, semi-quantitative way with reference to this distribution. uantitative computer simulations are in excellent greement with observations.