We have studied the noise in the optical rotation of a linearly polarized laser beam transmitted through a spin-polarized ~(133)Cs vapor as a function of its frequency detuning from the optical resonance. Our measurements demonstrate the direct conversion of the laser-frequency noise into optical rotation noise by the dispersive response of the atomic vapor. We describe this noise-conversion process in terms of a simple model that can be used to optimize the performance of atomic devices, such as atomic magnetometers, that use optical rotation as their operational signal.
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