Group velocity reduction by decay-induced interference

Summary form only given. We exploit decay-induced interference effects in order to slow down light propagation. The system we investigate is a V-shaped closed three-level system, with lower level |1> and upper levels |2> and |3>. The upper levels are coupled to the lower level by the vacuum modes. This interaction produces the usual relaxation processes of spontaneous emission from levels |2> and |3> to level |1>. However, when the splitting /spl omega//sub 32/ between the upper levels |2> and |3> is much smaller than the transverse decay rates /spl gamma//sub 2/ and /spl gamma//sub 3/, one has also to consider interference effects due to spontaneous emission.