Absorptive photon switching by quantum interference

Author

Yan, M. ; Rickey, E. ; Zhu, Y.

Author_Institution

Florida Int. Univ., Miami, FL, USA

fYear

2001

fDate

11-11 May 2001

Firstpage

97

Abstract

Summary form only given. A coupling laser can create electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in an absorbing medium such that linear absorption of a weak probe laser at the line center is suppressed by quantum interference. The quantum interference may be modified by adding a pump laser coupled to a separate state, which leads to enhanced third-order nonlinearities in the atomic system. Large nonlinear probe absorption at the EIT center is controlled by the pump laser and may be used to realize absorptive photon switching as proposed by Harris and Yamamoto. We report an experimental study of enhanced third-order nonlinear absorption and absorptive photon switching in /sup 87/Rb atoms cooled and confined in a magneto-optical trap.

Keywords

laser cooling; magneto-optical effects; nonlinear optics; optical pumping; quantum optics; radiation pressure; rubidium; transparency; /sup 87/Rb; /sup 87/Rb atoms; absorbing medium; absorptive photon switching; atomic system; coupling laser; electromagnetically induced transparency; enhanced third order nonlinearities; enhanced third-order nonlinear absorption; laser cooling; line center; linear absorption; magneto-optical trap; nonlinear probe absorption; pump laser; quantum interference; weak probe laser; Atom lasers; Atomic beams; Electromagnetic coupling; Electromagnetic interference; Electromagnetic wave absorption; Interference suppression; Laser excitation; Optical coupling; Probes; Pump lasers;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference, 2001. QELS '01. Technical Digest. Summaries of Papers Presented at the

Conference_Location

Baltimore, MD, USA

Print_ISBN

1-55752-663-X

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/QELS.2001.961905

Filename

961905