  In this study we explored the angular momentum alignment-to-orientation
conversion occurring in various alkali metals -- K, Rb, Cs. We used a
theoretical model that is based on Optical Bloch equations and uses the density
matrix formalism. Our model includes the interaction of all neighboring
hyperfine levels, the mixing of magnetic sublevels in an external magnetic
field, the coherence properties of the exciting laser radiation, and the
Doppler effect. Additionally we simulated signals where the ground- or the
excited-state coherent processes were switched off allowing us to determine the
origins of obtained signals. We also performed experiments on Cs atoms with two
laser beams: linearly polarised Cs D1 pump and circularly polarized Cs D2
probe. We used the pump beam to create angular momentum alignment in the ground
state and observed the transmission signal of the probe beam as we changed the
magnetic field. Full analysis of the experimentally obtained transmission
signal from a single circularly polarized probe laser component is provided.
