Observation of light dragging in a rubidium vapor cell

We report on the experimental demonstration of the light dragging effect due to atomic motion in a rubidium vapor cell. We find that the minimum group velocity is achieved for light redshifted from the center of the atomic resonance and that the value of this shift increases with decreasing group velocity, in agreement with the theoretical predictions by Kocharovskaya, Rostovtsev, and Scully Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 628 (2001)].