The explanation presented in [Taichenachev et al, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 61}, 011802 (2000)] according to which the electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) resonances observed in degenerate two level systems are due to coherence transfer from the excited to the ground state is experimentally tested in a Hanle type experiment observing the parametric resonance on the $% D1$ line of $^{87}$Rb. While EIA occurs in the $F=1\to F^{\prime}=2 $ transition in a cell containing only $Rb$ vapor, collisions with a buffer gas ($30 torr$ of $Ne$) cause the sign reversal of this resonance as a consequence of collisional decoherence of the excited state. A theoretical model in good qualitative agreement with the experimental results is presented.
Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is observed in gaseous 4He at room temperature. Ultra-narrow (less than 10 kHz) EIT windows are obtained for the first time for purely electronic spins in the presence of Doppler broadening. The positive role of collisions is emphasized through measurements of the power dependence of the EIT resonance. Measurement of slow light opens up possible ways to applications.
We report characterization of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) resonances in the D1 line of Rb-87 under various experimental conditions. The dependence of the EIT linewidth on the power of the pump field was investigated, at various temperatures, for the ground states of the lambda-system associated with different hyperfine levels of the atomic 5S_1/2 state as well as magnetic sublevels of the same hyperfine level. Strictly linear behavior was observed in all cases. A theoretical analysis of our results shows that dephasing in the ground state is the main source of decoherence, w…
We have observed CW lasing without inversion in a gas of hot rubidium atoms in an optical cavity under conditions of electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT). The medium is pumped coherently and resonantly by a single ``coupling'' beam which also produces EIT in the lasing transition. The steady-state intensity exhibits thresholds as a function of the atomic density and the strength of the coupling beam. A theoretical model for an effective three-level lambda system indicates that gain without inversion is possible in this system if the two ground states are coupled by depolarizing colli…
We experimentally and theoretically analyze the propagation of weak signal field pulses under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in hot Rb vapor, and study the effects of resonant four-wave mixing (FWM). In particular, we demonstrate that in a double-$Λ$ system, formed by the strong control field with the weak resonant signal and a far-detuned Stokes field, both continuous-wave spectra and pulse propagation dynamics for the signal field depend strongly on the amplitude of the seeded Stokes field, and the effect is enhanced in optically dense atomic medium. We also…
We present a realistic theoretical treatment of a three-level $Λ$ system in a hot atomic vapor interacting with a coupling and a probe field of arbitrary strengths, leading to electromagnetically-induced transparency and slow light under the two-photon resonance condition. We take into account all the relevant decoherence processes including col5Blisions. Velocity-changing collisions (VCCs) are modeled in the strong collision limit effectively, which helps in achieving optical pumping by the coupling beam across the entire Doppler profile. The steady-state expressions for the atomic density-ma…
We demonstrate ladder-type electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) using an optical nanofiber suspended in a warm rubidium vapor. The signal and control fields are both guided along the nanofiber, which enables strong nonlinear interactions with the surrounding atoms at relatively low powers. Transit-time broadening is found to be a significant EIT decoherence mechanism in this tightly-confined waveguiding geometry. Nonetheless, we observe significant EIT and controlled polarization rotation using control-field powers of only a few microWatts in this relatively robust warm-atom nanofibe…
Dicke narrowing is a phenomena that dramatically reduces the Doppler width of spectral lines, due to frequent velocity-changing collisions. A similar phenomena occurs for electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) resonances, and facilitates ultra-narrow spectral features in room-temperature vapor. We directly measure the Dicke-like narrowing by studying EIT line-shapes as a function of the angle between the pump and the probe beams. The measurements are in good agreement with an analytic theory with no fit parameters. The results show that Dicke narrowing can increase substantially the to…
We report here the first observation of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in $^{20}$Ne. The power broadening of the EIT linewidth is measured as a function of neon pressure and RF excitation power. Doppler effects on the EIT broadening are found even at low pressures and low intensities, where the linewidth should be governed only by homogeneous effects.
We present a theoretical model for electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in vapor, that incorporates atomic motion and velocity-changing collisions into the dynamics of the density-matrix distribution. Within a unified formalism we demonstrate various motional effects, known for EIT in vapor: Doppler-broadening of the absorption spectrum; Dicke-narrowing and time-of-flight broadening of the transmission window for a finite-sized probe; Diffusion of atomic coherence during storage of light and diffusion of the light-matter excitation during slow-light propagation; and Ramsey-narrowing …
We systematically studied the temporal profile of biphotons, i.e., pairs of time-correlated single photons, generated from a hot atomic vapor via the spontaneous four-wave mixing process. The measured temporal width of biphoton wave packet or two-photon correlation function against the coupling power was varied from about 70 to 580 ns. We derived an analytical expression of the biphoton's spectral profile in the Doppler-broadened medium. The analytical expression reveals that the spectral profile is mainly determined by the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), and behaves …
This tutorial introduces the theoretical and experimental basics of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) in thermal alkali vapors. We first introduce a brief phenomenological description of EIT in simple three-level systems of stationary atoms and derive analytical expressions for optical transmission and dispersion under EIT conditions. Then we focus on how the thermal motion of atoms affects various parameters of the EIT system. Specifically, we analyze the Doppler broadening of optical transitions, ballistic versus diffusive atomic motion in a limited-volume interaction region, an…
We experimentally and theoretically analyze the transmission of continuous-wave and pulsed squeezed vacuum through rubidium vapor under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency. Frequency- and time-domain homodyne tomography is used to measure the quadrature noise and reconstruct the quantum states of the transmitted light. A simple theoretical model explains the spectrum and degradation of the transmitted squeezing with high precision.
A new configuration for observation of magneto-optical subnatural-linewidth resonances of electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) in alkali vapor has been verified experimentally. The configuration includes using two counter-propagating pump and probe light waves with mutually orthogonal linear polarizations, exciting an open optical transition of an alkali atom in the presence of a buffer gas. The main advantage of the novel observation scheme consists in the possibility of obtaining simultaneously high-contrast and quite narrow nonlinear signals. Here a 2.5-cm long rubidium-87 vapor cel…
We theoretically report that, utilizing electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), the transverse spatial properties of weak probe fields can be fast modulated by using optical patterns (e.g. images) with desired intensity distributions in the coupling fields. Consequently, EIT systems can function as high-speed optically addressed spatial light modulators. To exemplify our proposal, we indicate the generation and manipulation of Laguerre-Gaussian beams based on either phase or amplitude modulation in hot vapor EIT systems.
Electromagnetically-induced transparency has become an important tool to control the optical properties of dense media. However, in a broad class of systems, the interplay between inhomogeneous broadening and the existence of several excited levels may lead to a vanishing transparency. Here, by identifying the underlying physical mechanisms resulting in this effect, we show that transparency can be strongly enhanced. We thereby demonstrate a 5-fold enhancement in a room-temperature vapor of alkali-metal atoms via a specific shaping of the atomic velocity distribution.
The slow light effects of an amplitude modulated Gaussian (AMG) pulse in a cesium atomic vapor are presented. In a single-$Λ$ type electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) medium, more severe distortion is observed for an AMG pulse than a Gaussian one. Using Fourier spectrum analysis, we find that the distortion, as well as the loss, is dominantly caused by linear absorption than dispersion. Accordingly, a compensation method is proposed to reshape the slow light pulse based on the transmission spectrum. In addition, we find a novel way to obtain simultaneous slow and fast light.
We have studied electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in diatomic cesium molecules in a vapor cell by using tunable diode lasers. We have observed a sub-natural Lambda-resonance in an absorption molecular band at different cesium vapor pressures. The width of the EIT resonance shows a linear dependence on cesium vapor pressure. Narrow Lambda-resonances in molecules can be used as frequency references for femtosecond laser frequency combs.
We experimentally investigate electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) created on an inhomogeneously broadened 5S_1/2-5P_1/2 transition in rubidium vapor using a control field of a complex temporal shape. A comb-shaped transparency spectrum enhances the delay-bandwidth product and the light storage capacity for a matched probe pulse by a factor of about 50 compared to a single EIT line [D. D. Yavuz, Phys. Rev. A 75, 031801 (2007)]. If the temporal mode of the control field is slowly changed while the probe is propagating through the EIT medium, the probe will adiabatically follow, provid…
A comprehensive study of three-photon electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) and absorption (EIA) on the rubidium cascade $5S_{1/2} \rightarrow 5P_{3/2}$ (laser wavelength 780~nm), $5P_{3/2} \rightarrow 5D_{5/2}$ (776~nm), and $5D_{5/2}\rightarrow 28F_{7/2}$ (1260~nm) is performed. The 780-nm probe and 776-nm dressing beams are counter-aligned through a Rb room-temperature vapor cell, and the 1260-nm coupler beam is co- or counter-aligned with the probe beam. Several cases of EIT and EIA, measured over a range of detunings of the 776-nm beam, are studied. The observed phenomena are mod…
We have experimentally studied propagation of two optical fields in a dense rubidium (Rb) vapor in the case when an additional microwave field is coupled to the hyperfine levels of Rb atoms. The Rb energy levels form a close-lambda three-level system coupled to the optical fields and the microwave field. It has been found that the maximum transmission of a probe field depends on the relative phase between the optical and the microwave fields. We have observed both constructive and destructive interference in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). A simple theoretical model and a numer…
We demonstrate laser frequency stabilization to excited state transitions using cascade electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). Using a room temperature Rb vapor cell as a reference, we stabilize a first diode laser to the D2 transition and a second laser to a transition from the intermediate state to a Rydberg state with principal quantum number n=19 - 70. A combined laser linewidth of 280 kHz over a 0.1 ms time period is achieved. This method may be applied generally to any cascade system and allows laser stabilization to an atomic reference in the absence of strong optical transitio…
We implement double electromagnetically-induced transparency (double EIT) in rubidium vapor, using a tripod-shaped energy level scheme consisting of hyperfine and magnetic sublevels of the 5S1/2 to 5P1/2 transition. We show experimentally that through the use of double EIT one can control the contrast of transparency windows as well as group velocities of the two signal fields. In particular, the group velocities can be equalized, which holds promise to greatly enhance nonlinear optical interaction between these fields.
Electromagnetically induced transparency and coherent population trapping were observed in a hot (1000 K) calcium vapor embedded into an electrical gas discharge. Unexpectedly large transparencies (of up to 70%) were observed under very unfavorable conditions: probe wavelength shorter than the coupling wavelength, and coupling Rabi frequency significantly smaller than the residual Doppler linewidth of the two photon transition. We developed a theoretical model that shows that the observed results are due to the combined effects of a strong probe beam and a small open character of the atomic sy…
We experimentally demonstrate coherent amplification of probe field in a tripod-type atoms driven by strong coupling, signal and weak probe fields. We suppress linear and nonlinear atomic absorptions for resonant and near resonant probe via double electromagnetically induced transparency (DEIT). Combining these advantages of suppressed absorption along with temperature- or atomic-density-controlled transfer of population(ToP) between hyperfine ground states, we can induce near-resonant amplification of probe through stimulated Raman scattering(SRS) pumped by low-intensity signal field. The inc…
We have recently shown that Alkali atoms contained in a vapor cell can serve as a highly accurate standard for microwave electric field strength as well as polarization using the principles of Rydberg atom electromagnetically induced transparency. Here, we show, for the first time, that Rydberg atom electromagnetically induced transparency can be used to image microwave electric fields with unprecedented precision. The spatial resolution of the method is far into the sub-wavelength regime. The electric field resolutions are similar to those we have demonstrated in our prior experiments. Our ex…
High degrees of intensity correlation between two independent lasers were observed after propagation through a rubidium vapor cell in which they generate Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT). As the optical field intensities are increased, the correlation changes sign (becoming anti-correlation). The experiment was performed in a room temperature rubidium cell, using two diode lasers tuned to the $^{85}$Rb $D_2$ line ($λ= 780$nm). The cross-correlation spectral function for the pump and probe fields is numerically obtained by modeling the temporal dynamics of both field phases as dif…
We observe transformation of the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) resonance into the absorption resonance in a $Λ$ interaction configuration in a cell filled with $^{87}$Rb and a buffer gas. This transformation occurs as a one-photon detuning of the coupling fields is varied from the atomic transition. No such absorption resonance is found in the absence of a buffer gas. The width of the absorption resonance is several times smaller than the width of the EIT resonance, and the changes of absorption near these resonances are about the same. Similar absorption resonances are detect…
We present, experimentally and theoretically, a scheme for dressed-state electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a three-step cascade system where a four-level system is mapped into an effective three-level system. Theoretical analysis reveals that the scheme provides coherent state control via adiabatic following and provides a generalized protocol for light storage in uniform phase spin-waves that are insensitive to motional dephasing. The three-step driving enables a number of other features including spatial selectivity of the excitation region within the atomic medium, and kick-…
We develop a fully quantum treatment of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a vapor of three-level $Λ$-type atoms. Both the probe and coupling lasers with arbitrary intensities are quantized, and treated on the same footing. In addition to reproducing known results on ultraslow pulse propagation at the lowest order in the ratio of their Rabi frequencies, our treatment uncovers that the atomic medium with EIT exhibits giant Kerr as well as higher order non-linearities. Enhancement of many orders of magnitude is predicted for higher-order refractive-index coefficients.
We observe a narrow, isolated, two-photon absorption resonance in Rb for large one-photon detuning in the presence of a buffer gas. In the absence of buffer gas, a standard Lambda configuration of two laser frequencies gives rise to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) for all values of one-photon detuning throughout the inhomogeneously (Doppler) broadened line. However, when a buffer gas is added and the one-photon detuning is comparable to or greater than the Doppler width, an absorption resonance appears instead of the usual EIT resonance. We also observe large negative group dela…
We observe and investigate, both experimentally and theoretically, electromagnetically-induced transparency experienced by evanescent fields arising due to total internal reflection from an interface of glass and hot rubidium vapor. This phenomenon manifests itself as a non-Lorentzian peak in the reflectivity spectrum, which features a sharp cusp with a sub-natural width of about 1 MHz. The width of the peak is independent of the thickness of the interaction region, which indicates that the main source of decoherence is likely due to collisions with the cell walls rather than diffusion of atom…
Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) has mainly been modelled for three-level systems. In particular, a considerable interest has been dedicated to the Lambda-configuration, with two ground states and one excited state. However, in the alkali-metal atoms, which are commonly used, hyperfine interaction in the excited state introduces several levels which simultaneously participate in the scattering process. When the Doppler broadening is comparable with the hyperfine splitting in the upper state, the three-level Lambda model does not reproduce the experimental results. Here we theoret…
We study experimentally the effect of diffusion of Rb atoms on Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) in a buffer gas vapor cell. In particular, we find that diffusion of atomic coherence in-and-out of the laser beam plays a crucial role in determining the EIT resonance lineshape and the stored light lifetime.
Two-photon processes that involve different sub-levels of the ground state of an atom, are highly sensitive to depopulation and decoherence within the ground state. For example, the spectral width of electromagnetically induced transparency resonances in $Λ-$type system, are strongly affected by the ground state depopulation and decoherence rates. We present a direct measurement of decay rates between hyperfine and Zeeman sub-levels in the ground state of $^{87}$Rb vapor. Similar to the relaxation-in-the-dark technique, pumping lasers are used to pre-align the atomic vapor in a well defined qu…
The Fresnel-Fizeau effect of transverse drag, in which the trajectory of a light beam changes due to transverse motion of the optical medium, is usually extremely small and hard to detect. We observe transverse drag in a moving hot-vapor cell, utilizing slow light due to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The drag effect is enhanced by a factor 360,000, corresponding to the ratio between the light speed in vacuum and the group velocity under EIT conditions. We study the contribution of the thermal atomic motion, which is much faster than the mean medium velocity, and identify the …
We study phase-sensitive amplification of electromagnetically induced transparency in a warm ${}^{85}$Rb vapor wherein a microwave driving field couples the two lower-energy states of a Λ energy-level system thereby transforming into a Δ system. Our theoretical description includes effects of ground-state coherence decay and temperature effects. In particular, we demonstrate that driving-field-enhanced electromagnetically induced transparency is robust against significant loss of coherence between ground states. We also show that for specific field intensities, a threshold rate of ground-state…
We study electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a heated potassium vapor cell, using a simple optical setup with a single free-running diode laser and an acousto-optic modulator. Despite the fact that the Doppler width is comparable to the ground state hyperfine splitting, transparency windows with deeply sub-natural line widths and large group indices are obtained. A longitudinal magnetic field is used to split the EIT feature and induce magnetooptical anisotropy. Using the beat note between co-propagating coupling and probe beams, we perform a heterodyne measurement of the circula…
Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is a well-known phenomenon due in part to its applicability to quantum devices such as quantum memories and quantum gates. EIT is commonly modeled with a three-level lambda system due to the simplicity of the calculations. However, this simplified model does not capture all the physics of EIT experiments with real atoms. We present a theoretical study of the effect of two closely-spaced excited states on EIT and off-resonance Raman transitions. We find that the coherent interaction of the fields with two excited states whose separation is smaller …
We investigate the effect of band-limited white Gaussian noise (BLWGN) on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Autler-Townes (AT) splitting, when performing atom-based continuous-wave (CW) radio-frequency (RF) electric (E) field strength measurements with Rydberg atoms in an atomic vapor. This EIT/AT-based E-field measurement approach is currently being investigated by several groups around the world as a means to develop a new SI traceable RF E-field measurement technique. For this to be a useful technique, it is important to understand the influence of BLWGN. We perform EIT/AT …
Long range quantum communication and quantum information processing require the development of light-matter interfaces for distributed quantum networks. Even though photons are ideal candidates for network links to transfer quantum information, the system of choice for the realization of quantum nodes has not been identified yet. Ideally, one strives for a hybrid network architecture, which will consist of different quantum systems, combining the strengths of each system. However, interfacing different quantum systems via photonic channels remains a major challenge because a detailed understan…
Level-crossing (LC) resonances in a buffer-gas-filled cesium vapor cell are studied under counterpropagating pump and probe light waves with opposite circular polarizations. The waves excite the D$_1$-line ground-state level $F_g$$=\,$$4$, while a transverse magnetic field (${\rm B}_x$$\perp$${\rm k}$) is scanned around zero to observe the resonance of electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA). It is shown that adding the pump light wave significantly improves the properties of the resonances in comparison with the commonly used scheme with a single light wave. As far as a small vapor cell …
The temporal evolutions of coherent resonances corresponding to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and absorption (EIA) were observed in a Hanle absorption experiment carried on the $D_{2}$ lines of $% ^{87}$Rb vapor by suddenly turning the magnetic field on or off. The main features of the experimental observations are well reproduced by a theoretical model based on Bloch equation where the atomic level degeneracy has been fully accounted for. Similar (opposite phase) evolutions were observed at low optical field intensities for Hanle/EIT or Hanle/EIA resonances. Unlike the Hanle/…
