  We experimentally investigate ultralow-power saturation of the rubidium D2
transitions using a tapered optical fiber (TOF) suspended in a warm Rb vapor. A
direct comparison of power-dependent absorption measurements for the TOF system
with those obtained in a standard free-space vapor cell system highlights the
differences in saturation behavior for the two systems. The effects of
hyperfine pumping in the TOF system are found to be minimized due to the short
atomic transit times through the highly confined evanescent optical mode guided
by the TOF. The TOF system data is well-fit by a relatively simple empirical
absorption model that indicates nanoWatt-level saturation powers.
