SGC Switching Between Subluminal to Superluminal Propagation in V-Type Atom

For a V-type three-level atomic system with two closely spaced upper levels, we investigate the light pulse propagation properties with only one laser field. Due to spontaneously generated coherence, the group velocity of the light pulse can be changed from subluminal to superluminal. The effects of the field intensity and the two-upper level splitting on the group velocity are also shown. At last, an analytical expression for the group velocity is given in the case of a weak field.     

SGC Switching Between Subluminal to Superluminal Propagation in V-Type Atom

For a V-type three-level atomic system with two closely spaced upper levels, we investigate the light pulse propagation properties with only one laser field. Due to spontaneously generated coherence, the group velocity of the light pulse can be changed from subluminal to superluminal. The effects of the field intensity and the two-upper level splitting on the group velocity are also shown. At last, an analytical expression for the group velocity is given in the case of a weak field.     

Transient dispersion and absorption in a V-shaped atomic system

We investigate the dynamical behavior of the dispersion and the absorption in a V-type three level atomic system. It is shown that in the presence of decay-induced interference the probe dispersion and absorption are phase dependent. We find that an incoherent pumping field provides an additional control parameter for switching the group velocity of a light pulse. The required switching times for switching the group velocity of a probe field from subluminal to superluminal pulse propagation is then discussed.     

Absorption-free superluminal light propagation in a quantum-dot molecule

The propagation of a weak probe field in a three-level quantum-dot molecule is investigated by employing the tunnel coupling. It is shown that in the absence of tunnel coupling, the propagation of light pulse is superluminal, similar to a simple two-level system. A high-resolution dip appears in optical spectra due to the presence of tunnel coupling. We show that this narrow dip leads to the subluminal light propagation with doublet absorption, so the group velocity of a light pulse can be controlled by interdot tunnel coupling. It is also demonstrated that by applying an indirect incoherent pumping field to the probe transition, the absorption doublet switches to the gain doublet and then the absorption-free superluminal light propagation is appeared.     

Absorption-free superluminal light propagation in a quantum-dot molecule

The propagation of a weak probe field in a three-level quantum-dot molecule is investigated by employing the tunnel coupling. It is shown that in the absence of tunnel coupling, the propagation of light pulse is superluminal, similar to a simple two-level system. A high-resolution dip appears in optical spectra due to the presence of tunnel coupling. We show that this narrow dip leads to the subluminal light propagation with doublet absorption, so the group velocity of a light pulse can be controlled by interdot tunnel coupling. It is also demonstrated that by applying an indirect incoherent pumping field to the probe transition, the absorption doublet switches to the gain doublet and then the absorption-free superluminal light propagation is appeared.     

Roles of Atomic Injection Rate and External Magnetic Field on Optical Properties of Elliptical Polarized Probe Light

In this paper we investigate the optical properties of an open four-level tripod atomic system driven by an elliptically polarized probe field in the presence of the external magnetic field and compare its properties with the corresponding closed system.Our result reveals that absorption,dispersion and group velocity of probe field can be manipulated by adjusting the phase difference between the two circularly polarized components of a single coherent field,magnetic field and cavity parameters i.e.the atomic exit rate from cavity and atomic injection rates.We show that the system can exhibit multiple electromagnetically induced transparency windows in the presence of the external magnetic field.The numerical result shows that the probe field in the open system can be amplified by appropriate choice of cavity parameters,while in the closed system with introduce appropriate phase difference between fields the probe field can be enhanced.Also it is shown that the group velocity of light pulse can be controlled by external magnetic field,relative phase of applied fields and cavity parameters.By changing the parameters the group velocity of light pulse changes from subluminal to superluminal light propagation and vice versa.     

Tight focusing of femtosecond elliptically polarised vortex light pulses

This paper studies the tight focusing properties of femtosecond elliptically polarised vortex light pulses. Based on Richards--Wolf vectorial diffraction integral, the expressions for the electric field, the velocity of the femtosecond light pulse and the total angular momentum of focused pluses are derived. The numerical calculations are also given to illustrate the intensity distribution, phase contour, the group velocity variation and the total angular momentum near the focus. It finds that near the focus the femtosecond elliptically polarised vortex light pulse can travel at various group speeds, that is, slower or faster than light speed in vacuum, depending on the numerical aperture of the focusing objective system. Moreover, it also studies the influence of the numerical aperture of the focusing objective and the time duration of the elliptically polarised vortex light pulse on the total angular momentum distribution in the focused field.     

Gain-assisted superluminal light propagation via incoherent pumping field

We investigate the dispersion and the absorption properties of a weak field in a three-level Λ and V-type atomic system. We use just an incoherent pumping field to control the group velocity of a light pulse. The slope of dispersion is shown to be changed from positive to negative just by varying the intensity of the indirect incoherent pumping field. Gain-assisted superluminal light propagation appears in this system. No laser field is used in the pumping processes.     

Phase-Controlled Transparent Superluminal Light Propagation in a Doppler-Broadened Four-Level N-Type System

The propagation of a weak probe field in a four-level N-type quantum system in the presence of spontaneously generated coherence(SGC) is theoretically investigated. The optical properties of the system are studied and it is shown that the group velocity of light pulse can be controlled by relative phase of applied fields. By changing the relative phase of applied fields, the group velocity of light pulse changes from transparent subluminal to the transparent superluminal light propagation. Thus, the phase-controlled absorption-free superluminal light propagation is obtained without applying an incoherent laser fields to the system. The propagation of a weak probe light pulse is studied by solving the Maxwell's wave equation on numerical grid in space and time. Moreover, we study the third order self- and cross-Kerr susceptibility of probe field and calculate the nonlinear cross-phase shift for different values of intensity of applied fields. In addition, we take into account the effect of Doppler broadening on the light pulse propagation and it is found that a suitable choice of laser propagation directions allows us to preserve our results even in the presence of Doppler effect. It is demonstrated that by increasing the Doppler width of distribution to the room temperature,the dispersion changes from transparent subluminal to transparent superluminal light propagation which is our major motivation for this work.     

The manipulation of light pulse from subluminal to superluminal propagation in a degenerate two-level Cs atomic system

We experimentally demonstrate the propagation of light pulse from subluminal to superluminal light based on quantum coherence in a degenerate two-level atomic system in a Cs vapor cell.It is shown that the group velocity of light pulse can be switched from subluminal to superluminal propagation via changing the coupling field from a traveling wave to a standing wave,while can also be continuously manipulated by varying the intensity of two waves superposed to form a standing wave.The observed maximum delay and advance times are about 0.45 and 0.54μs,corresponding to the group velocity of g=168km/s and g=138 km/s,respectively.This investigation may have the practical applications of devices for optical tunable delay lines,optical switching and optical buffering.     

On some peculiarities of propagation of weak electromagnetic pulses in Bose-Einstein condensates of alkali-metal atoms

We study theoretically the linear response of a gas in the state with Bose-Einstein condensate to the perturbation by an external electromagnetic field (weak laser pulse). The Green’s functions formalism is used to study the dispersion characteristics of a system at finite temperatures. It is shown that the group velocity of the near-resonant pulses in condensate in some cases can strongly depend on the temperature. Basing on the account of the Zeeman splitting of the magnetic states we study also a possibility to filter light pulses by the condensate with several occupied quantum states.     

超光速群速度与信息传输的有效速度

研究了反常色散介质中脉冲形变对超光速群速度的影响,发现即使光脉冲完全不产生形变群速度仍会超过真空中的光速。但波包的群速度并不等同于信号的传输速度,采用信息论方法,定义了信号的有效传输速度,并用于解释WKD(Wang,Kuzmich,Dogariu)实验。通过计算入射光与出射光信号所携带的信息量,发现由于光的波动衍射及光子散粒噪声的影响,出射光所携带的信息量会损失,使得光信号的有效传播速度不会超过真空中的光速。     

光子晶体中缺陷的色散导致的群速度降低

利用传输矩阵方法计算了包含色散媒质缺陷的一维光子晶体的复透射系数，其中色散媒质用洛仑兹振子模型描述。计算了由复透射系数定义的等效复折射率并由此研究了频谱位于缺陷模频率附近的光脉冲的群速度。结果发现，由于缺陷模附近的透射谱敏感地依赖于缺陷层的光学厚度，而缺陷层的色散使缺陷层光学厚度随频率变化而改变，从而使包含缺陷的光子晶体的等效色散性质明显地依赖于缺陷的色散行为。由于光脉冲是由多种频率成分的单色场迭加构成的，透射脉冲由各单色场透射后重新迭加构成，因此波包的传播由介质的等效色散性质决定。与包含无色散缺陷的光子晶体相比，缺陷的色散可导致极慢的群速度。通过改变振子强度，群速度可从极慢光速转变为超光速(superluminal)。     

Average energy flow of optical pulses in dispersive media

The arrival time of a light pulse at a point in space is defined using a time expectation integral over the Poynting vector. The delay between pulse arrival times at two distinct points is shown to consist of two parts: a spectral superposition of group delays (inverse of group velocity) and a delay due to spectral reshaping via absorption or amplification. The result provides a context wherein group velocity is always meaningful even for broad band pulses and when the group velocity is superluminal or negative. The result imposes luminality on sharply defined pulses.     

Anomalies of radiation absorption and superluminal propagation of light: I. An isotropic layer

The features of superluminal propagation of light through an isotropic layer are investigated and the group velocity is calculated. Multilayer systems providing superluminal propagation of light over large distances with compensation of losses upon light transmission through the system are considered. The situations in which the propagation speed of a light pulse decreases or in which it is equal to zero are also investigated. The features of radiation absorption in a thin isotropic layer are considered. The effects of anomalously high and anomalously low absorption are found. It is shown that these effects are caused by an increase (decrease) in the density of light energy in the layer and by changes in the group velocity. The possibility of experimental observation of the effects discovered is discussed.     

Study of spatial-temporal characteristics of optical fiber based on ultrashort-pulse interferometry

We demonstrate a method for reconstruction of the modal intensity distribution of light at the output of an optical fiber. Spatial modes of the optical fiber are separated in time as a result of differences in group velocity and are detected experimentally by observation of the interference of the modal field distribution with the time-gating reference field. The detected interference patterns of the modal fields are analyzed, providing the spatial impulse response of the fiber. We also use interferometric correlation to determine the spatiotemporal characteristics of the fiber modes, such as pulse width, linear chirp, and group velocity, for each mode.     

Where is the energy of slow light stored?

We analyze the energy storage process of light propagating with slow group velocity in a sample where electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is created by a strong coupling field. We compare the formation of slow light in EIT and in self-induced transparency (SIT). For SIT, soliton-like propagation of light with essentially reduced group velocity takes place because of the temporary storage of an appreciable part of the pulse energy in the atoms. For EIT, no energy of the probe is stored in the atoms. This energy is transformed to the coupling field and leaves the sample with phase velocity c without absorption. Slow light is formed by a low frequency coherence induced at the input by the probe and coupling fields in a two-quantum excitation process. This coherence propagates as a “spin wave” with small group velocity, and at a large distance from the input, the coherence rules the process of the energy transformation from the coupling field to the probe, reproducing exactly the temporal profile of the probe at the input.     

Two-photon spectron

The propagation of a two-photon light in a transparent medium with group velocity dispersion is considered. It is shown that, even in the stationary case of two-photon light generation by cw pumping, the second-order light correlation function behaves like a short pulse: when propagating in a medium, this function smears and at large distances acquires the spectral shape of two-photon radiation.     

Storage and reconstruction of quantum information using exciton resonance in a solid

The methods for storage and reconstruction of quantum information in a crystal with impurity ∧ atoms are studied in the case when the upper state is located in the exciton band. The upper level of the impurity atom forms a Fano resonant state similar to the autoionization atomic state due to the configuration interaction with the continuum of the exciton band. The slowing of light pulses is realized in the presence of a control field, so that the group velocity appears much lower than the velocity of light in vacuum. The processes are considered in the adiabatic limit of the field activation. The possibility for the storage and reconstruction of a quantum pulse is studied in the case of the instantaneous on-off switching of the control field. It is demonstrated that the shape and quantum state of the light pulse are preserved in the case of its propagation and reconstruction. The polariton states are obtained and their properties are studied for the case of transitions through the exciton resonance.