Coherent hole-burnings induced by a bichromatic laser field

In a Doppler-broadened three-level Λ-type system driven simultaneously by a coupling laser and two equal-amplitude saturating laser fields with a frequency difference 2δ, the absorption spectrum of a weak probe laser exhibits multiple deep spectral holes through coherent hole-burning CHB with controllable numbers, widths, depths, and positions. More significant, changing δ or lasers directions, CHBs can degenerate into narrower and deeper spectral holes where the slope of the refractive index is very steep. The multiple narrow spectral holes in a single absorption profile are expected to have potential applications in high density storage, optical information processes, and slow-light.     

Chiral planar waveguide for guiding single-mode backward wave

Single-mode backward wave is shown to be guided in a planar dielectric waveguide with a strong chiral core. The significant difference of such a waveguide from the traditional one is the guidance of single-mode backward wave, without using negative permittivity and/or negative permeability. In the design, we generalize the idea of total internal reflection to the chiral medium and make a numerical analysis on the reflection with oblique incidence. We deduce rigorously a general solution of incident wave on the boundary of two arbitrary chiral magneto-electric media. We observe that the impedance matching can eliminate the coupling between two eigenwaves in chiral media. With strong chiral core and the matched impedance with cladding, one eigenwave becomes a backward wave and can be guided without transferring to the other eigenwave. If a single-mode propagation condition is satisfied, we will get single-mode backward guided wave. A special interface has been designed to prevent the forward wave entering the waveguide from the source.     

Phase control of maximal atomic coherence

The atomic coherence in a three-level Λ atom is studied, in which each optical transition is driven by a coherent field and the metastable states are coupled to each other via a microwave field. It’s shown that the atomic coherence crucially depends on the relative phase delay between the envelopes of the amplitudes of the three coupling fields. In particular, when the phase delay is adjusted to 0 or π, the maximal atomic coherence arises, while the maximal atomic coherence doesn’t occur once the phase delay is changed to π/2. The maximal atomic coherence is attributed to the trapping of the population in the lower sublevels.     

Optically-induced defect states in photonic lattices: formation of?defect channels, directional couplers, and disordered lattices leading to Anderson-like light localization

Formation of defect states by optical induction in one-dimensional photonic lattices fabricated in photorefractive lithium niobate is investigated experimentally. First, by using a moving narrow laser beam for defect recording, we investigate light propagation in samples containing single line defects and adjacent channel defects forming directional couplers. Then, these results are used to create lattices with randomly distributed defects, resembling a disordered optical potential. In such lattices, wave propagation is found to change from ballistic transport to transverse Anderson-like light localization as a function of induced disorder.     

Deceleration and shape-transformation of light pulses during?phase conjugation in photorefractive media

We have theoretically investigated the main features of pulse deceleration and pulse-shape transformations during phase conjugation in photorefractive nonlinear media. The main attention in article is paid to the critical features which occur near the threshold of mirrorless oscillation. It is shown that the effects of critical enhancement when approaching the threshold do not lead to superior light slowing down characteristics as compared to the case of two-beam coupling. At the same time, essentially new features of pulse-shape transformation occur above the threshold.     

Dynamic control of light propagation and optical switching through an RF-driven cascade-type atomic medium

We study nonlinear optical behaviors in pulse propagation through a medium consisting of four-level cascade-type cold atoms, where a radio-frequency (RF) field couples upper two-folded levels and double-dark resonances (DDRs) can arise. By numerically solving the coupled Bloch-Maxwell equations for atom and field simultaneously in space and time, we demonstrate dynamic control of light propagation and optical switching in such a four-level atomic medium. The proposed scheme may have potential applications in the design of optical switching and optical storage devices.     

Absorption spectrum of a resonantly driven degenerate V-type atom with a dc-field coupling between excited states

We study the absorption spectra of a degenerate V-type atom, where a resonant driving field and a probe field drive different branches of transitions and a dc field is applied to drive the transition between two excited states. The effects of vacuum induced coherence (VIC) on the absorption spectra are investigated. It is demonstrated that in some special cases the VIC can lead to the depression of absorption and narrow resonance. The origin of these features are discussed. When the pump field and the dc field have the same intensity, it is interesting to find that the whole absorption spectrum comes mainly from the absorptions induced by the interferences among different transitions between dressed states.     

Control of the switch between optical multistability and bistability in three-level V-type atoms

We theoretically investigated a hybrid absorptive-dispersive optical bistability and multistability behaviour in a three-level V-type system using a microwave field driving a hyperfine transition between two upper excited states inside a unidirectional ring cavity. We find that the intensity and the frequency detuning of the coupling field as well as the intensity of the microwave field can affect the OM behaviour dramatically, which can be used to control the transition from OM to OB or vice versa without need to resort the effect of the quantum interference. The effects of the phase, the quantum interference and the atomic cooperation parameter on the OM are also studied. Our scheme may be used for building more efficient all-optical switches and logic-gate devices for optical computing and quantum information processing.     

Obtaining high refractive index with vanishing absorption via spontaneously generated coherence and incoherent pumping

A three-level ∧-model atomic system with incoherent pumping is proposed to achieve high refractive index without absorption. In this kind of model, two lower levels are near-degenerate levels. It is found that high refractive index accompanied by vanishing absorption can be always accomplished by adjusting some related parameters. Although probe field is very weak, the SGC effect is prominent in the presence of incoherent pumping.     

Spectroscopic measurements of the evanescent wave polarization state

We applied optogalvanic spectroscopy to observe Zeeman effect in the evanescent wave in Ar gas with the help of a single-mode diode laser. The use of an homogenous external magnetic field enabled us to observe different π and σ Zeeman split lines contribution. We studied two orthogonal directions of external magnetic field and two orthogonal polarizations of the incident wave with respect to the plane of incidence. The analysis of relative line strengths leads to the determination of the polarization state of the evanescent wave.