Optical tristability via optical pumping has been observed in the transmission of a Fabry-Perot interferometer containing Na vapor irradiated by light from a cw dye laser on the high-frequency wing of the D₁ line. For linearly polarized incident light, three stable states appear in the polarization of the transmitted light: σ₊ dominant, σ_- dominant, and linear polarization.
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Cecchi et al. (1982) studied this question.