Using a single channel active Raman gain medium we show a $(220\pm 20)$ns advance time for an optical pulse of $τ_{FWHM}=15.4 μ$s propagating through a 10 cm medium, a lead time that is comparable to what was reported previously. In addition, we have verified experimentally all the features associated with this single channel Raman gain system. Our results show that the reported gain-assisted superluminal propagation should not be attributed to the interference between the two frequencies of the pump field.
Thanks to the atomic coherence in coupling laser driven atomic system, sub-Doppler absorption has been observed in Doppler-broadened cesium vapor cell via the /Lambda-type three-level scheme. The linewidth of the sub-Doppler absorption peak become narrower while the frequency detuning of coupling laser increases. The results are in agreement with the theoretical prediction by G. Vemuri et al.[PRA,Vol.53(1996) p.2842].
We show that the propagation of light in a Doppler broadened medium can be slowed down considerably eventhough such medium exhibits very flat dispersion. The slowing down is achieved by the application of a saturating counter propagating beam that produces a hole in the inhomogeneous line shape. In atomic vapors, we calculate group indices of the order of 10^3. The calculations include all coherence effects.
We report a bright photon-pair source with a coincidence counting rate per input power (cps/mW) of tens of thousands, obtained via spontaneous four-wave mixing from a Doppler-broadened atomic ensemble of the 5S1/2-5P3/2-5D5/2 transition of 87Rb. The photon-pair generation rate is enhanced by the two-photon coherence contributions from almost all the atomic velocity groups in the Doppler-broadened ladder-type atomic system. We obtained the violation of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality by a factor of 2370(150). We believe that our scheme for highly bright paired photons is important as a useful qua…
Bright, entangled multiphoton sources based on atom photon interactions are an essential requirement in the realization of several quantum information and quantum computation schemes based on photonic quantum systems. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a four photon polarization entangled GHZ state obtained from Doppler broadened atomic ensembles of 87Rb atoms. Owing to collective two photon coherence in the Doppler broadened cascade-type atomic system, our setup enables the generation of robust four photon GHZ states with a fidelity of 0.82 and a measured four photon average coincidence rate…
We report the efficient generation of subnatural-linewidth (< 6 MHz, for Rb D1/D2 lines) biphotons from a Doppler-broadened (530 MHz) hot atomic vapor cell. We use on-resonance spontaneous four-wave mixing in a hot paraffin-coated 87Rb vapor cell at 63 C to produce time-frequency entangled photon pairs with controllable bandwidth (1.9 - 3.2 MHz) and coherence time (47 - 94 ns). Our backward phase-matching scheme with optical pumping is the key to minimize the generation of uncorrelated photons from resonance fluorescence. The result paves the way toward miniature narrowband biphoton source bas…
We theoretically investigate the spectral property of biphoton state from the cascade emissions from a Doppler-broadened atomic ensemble. This biphoton state is spontaneously created in the four-wave-mixing process. The upper transition of the emissions lies in telecom bandwidth, which prevails in fiber-based quantum communication for low-loss transmission. We obtain the spectral property in terms of superradiant decay rates of the lower transition, excitation pulse durations, and temperature of the medium. We quantify their frequency entanglement by Schmidt decomposition and find that more en…
To realize a quantum network based on quantum entanglement swapping, bright and completely autonomous sources are essentially required. Here, we experimentally demonstrate Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) quantum interference between two independent bright photon pairs generated via the spontaneous four-wave mixing in Doppler-broadened ladder-type 87Rb atoms. Bright autonomous heralded single photons are operated in a continuous-wave (CW) mode with no synchronization or supplemental filters. The four-fold photon coincidence counts per hour correspond to 5000 events for a temporal range of 10 ns, one order…
With a recent rising interest of single photon superradiance due to its potential usefulness for efficient collection of single photon from an atomic ensemble, bright and narrow photon pair source is a key component in realization of quantum communication and quantum computer based on coherent interaction between light and atomic ensemble. We report the superradiant emission of ultra-bright photon pairs with a coincidence counting rate per input power of 64,600 cps/mW via spontaneous four-wave mixing in a thermal vapour cell. The photon-pair generation rate is enhanced by the contribution of t…
Nonlinear effects in pulse propagation through a medium consisting of four-level double-$Λ$-type systems are studied theoretically. We apply three continous-wave driving fields and a pulsed probe field such that they form a closed interaction loop. Due to the closed loop and the finite frequency width of the probe pulses the multiphoton resonance condition cannot be fulfilled, such that a time-dependent analysis is required. By identifying the different underlying physical processes we determine the parts of the solution relevant to calculate the linear and nonlinear response of the system. We…
We propose and analyze a scheme for "on demand" creation of coherent superposition of meta-stable states in a tripod-structured atom using frequency-chirped laser pulses. Negligible excitation of the atoms during the creation of the superposition states is a priority in our consideration. The underlying physics of the scheme is explained using the formalism of adiabatic states. By numerically solving master equation for the density matrix operator, we analyze the influence of the spontaneous decay and transverse relaxation on the efficiency of the creation of superposition states. We show that…
Resonant nonlinear-optical interference processes in four-level Doppler-broadened media are studied. Specific features of amplification and optical switching of short-wavelength radiation in a strongly-absorbing resonant gas under coherent quantum control with two longer wavelength radiations, are investigated. The major outcomes are illustrated with virtual experiments aimed at inversionless short-wavelength amplification, which also address deficiencies in this regard in recent experiments. With numerical simulations related to the proposed experiment in optically-dense sodium dimer vapor, w…
An inversionless gain of anti-Stokes radiation above the oscillation threshold in an optically-dense far-from-degenerate double-Lambda Doppler-broadened medium accompanied by Stokes gain is predicted. The outcomes are illustrated with numerical simulations applied to sodium dimer vapor. Optical switching from absorption to gain via transparency controlled by a small variation of the medium and of the driving radiation parameters which are at a level less than one photon per molecule is shown. Related video/audio clips see in: A.K. Popov, S.A. Myslivets, and T.F. George, Optics Express Vol. 7, …
We present a detailed analysis of coherence creation in a four level double lambda-like atomic system using a train of ultra-short few-cycle Gaussian pulses. The effect of the Doppler broadening has been analyzed. It is possible to create high coherence across all the velocity groups in the atomic ensemble using pulses with low repetition frequency. The accumulation of coherence at different radial locations within the atomic beam cross-section as a function of the number of pulses in the train is also reported. We find that pulse train with lower repetition frequencies are able to generate hi…
Traditionally, measuring the center-of-mass (c.m.) velocity of an atomic ensemble relies on measuring the Doppler shift of the absorption spectrum of single atoms in the ensemble. Mapping out the velocity distribution of the ensemble is indispensable when determining the c.m. velocity using this technique. As a result, highly sensitive measurements require preparation of an ensemble with a narrow Doppler width. Here, we use a dispersive measurement of light passing through a moving room temperature atomic vapor cell to determine the velocity of the cell in a single shot with a short-term sensi…
An influence of nonlinear interference processes at quantum transitions under strong resonance electromagnetic fields on absorption, amplification and refractive indices as well as on four-wave mixing processes is investigated. Doppler broadening of the coupled transitions, incoherent excitation, relaxation processes, as well as power saturation processes associated with the coupled levels are taken into account. Both closed (ground state is involved) and open (only excited states are involved) energy level configurations are considered. Common expressions are obtained which allow one to analy…
The propagation of a weak optical pulse through an atomic system in closed $Λ$ configuration is investigated in which the hyper fine levels are coupled by a microwave pulse. Under three photon resonance condition, it is observed that the probe pulse shape gets cloned by the shape of the microwave pulse along propagation through the medium. The temporal position of the probe pulse is dragged to that of the microwave pulse. A simple expression for the linear susceptibility of the medium for the corresponding transition is derived in the Fourier domain. From the numerical analysis of dynamics usi…
Specific features of nonlinear interference processes at quantum transitions in near- and fully-resonant optically-dense Doppler-broadened medium are studied. The feasibility of overcoming of the fundamental limitation on a velocity-interval of resonantly coupled molecules imposed by the Doppler effect is shown based on quantum coherence. This increases the efficiency of nonlinear-optical processes in atomic and molecular gases that possess the most narrow and strongest resonances. The possibility of all-optical switching of the medium to opaque or, alternatively, to absolutely transparent, or…
We develop a perturbative theory that describes a superluminal refractive perturbation propagating in a dispersive medium and the subsequent excitation of the quantum vacuum zero-point fluctuations. We find a process similar to the anomalous Doppler effect: photons are emitted in correlated pairs and mainly within a Cerenkov-like cone, one on the forward and the other in backward directions. The number of photon pairs emitted from the perturbation increases strongly with the degree of superluminality and under realizable experimental conditions, it can reach up to ~0.01 photons per pulse. More…
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 propose and demonstrate pump-probe spectroscopy of rubidium absorption which reveals the sub-Doppler hyperfine structure of the $^{5}$S$_{1/2} \leftrightarrow$ $^{5}$P$_{3/2}$ (D2) transitions. The counter propagating pump and probe lasers are independently tunable in frequency, with the probe operating at the single-photon-level. The two-dimensional spectrum measured as the laser frequencies are scanned shows fluorescence, Doppler-broadened absorption dips and sub-Doppler features. The detuning between the pump and probe lasers allows compensation of the Doppler shift for all atomic veloci…
New feasibity of coherent quantum control of four-wave mixing processes in a resonant Doppler-broadened medium are studied. We propose a technique which enables one to enhance the quantum efficiency of nonlinear optical conversion. At the same time, it allows one to decrease the required intensities of the fundamental beams compared to those necessary in the approach based on coherent population trapping. The major outcomes of the analysis are illustrated with numerical simulation addressed within a practical medium.
We have performed for the first time direct laser spectroscopy of the 1S0-3P0 optical clock transition at 265.6 nm in fermionic isotopes of neutral mercury laser-cooled in a magneto-optical trap. Spectroscopy is performed by measuring the depletion of the magneto-optical trap induced by the excitation of the long-lived 3P0 state by a probe at 265.6 nm. Measurements resolve the Doppler-free recoil doublet allowing for a determination of the transition frequency to an uncer- tainty well below the Doppler-broadened linewidth. We have performed absolute measurement of the frequency with respect to…
We study Chiral Based Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (CBEIT) of a light pulse and its associated subluminal and superluminal behavior through a cold and a hot medium of 4-level \textit{double-Lambda type} atomic system. The dynamical behavior of this chiral based system is temperature dependent. The magnetic field based chirality and dispersion is always opposite as compared with the electric field ones. Contrastingly, the response of the chiral effect along with the incoherence Doppler broadening mechanism enhances the superluminal behavior as compared with its traditional degrading…
We study gain without inversion due to coherence effects in a Doppler-broadened degenerate three-level system of a rubidium-hydrogen mixture in a miniaturized micron scale custom vapor cell. The cell miniaturization gives rise to collisions of atoms with the walls of the cell. This, combined with the high collision rate with the hydrogen buffer gas allows us to observe gain in the absorption spectra. Furthermore, we analyze the role of cell miniaturization in the evolution of the gain profile. In addition to fundamental interest, the observation of gain without inversion in our miniaturized ce…
