Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2503.03311 · Physical Review Research

Nuclear spin induced transparency

H. Zhang, Yuanjiang Tang, Yong‐Chun Liu

Published Mar 12, 2025• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is an important quantum optical phenomenon which provides a crucial tool for light manipulation. However, typically the transparency window is broad, limited by the coherence time of the metastable state. Here, we show that an extremely narrow transparency window can be realized using nuclear spin induced transparency (NSIT), which is achieved by combining the optical field, magnetic field, and the spin-exchange interaction between noble-gas nuclear spins and alkali-metal electronic spins. The width of the NSIT window can be several orders of magnitude smaller than that of conventional EIT, and even reaches the sub-mHz range due to the long coherence time of nuclear spins. The scheme holds great potential for applications in slow light and magnetic field sensing.

DOI
10.1103/physrevresearch.7.l012069

Related papers

Electromagnetically-induced transparency and slow light in room temperature 4He*

Joyee Ghosh, Fabienne Goldfarb, J.-L. Le Gouët +2 more

Electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) in three-level Λ-systems is based on quantum interference effects involving coherence between the two lower levels, which allow propagation of a resonant probe light beam in the presence of a strong coupling field. We have observed transparency in ultra-narrow (<10 kHz) windows at the resonant 1.083 μm transition for purely electronic spins in gaseous 4 He* at room temperature. Slow light is an interesting outcome of the EIT phenomenon due to extreme dispersion within the narrow transparency window. We have obtained group delays of about 4 μs in a 2.5 cm long He* cell. A complete theoretical analysis explains our observations emphasizing the positive role of collisions. Slow light with 1-GHz Doppler broadening opens the door to applications of controllable large-bandwidth delays in radars.

Laser Physics•Apr 2, 2010•0 citations

Coupling light to a nuclear spin gas with a two-photon linewidth of five millihertz

Or Katz, Roy Shaham, Ofer Firstenberg

Nuclear spins of noble gases feature extremely long coherence times but are inaccessible to optical photons. Here, we realize a coherent interface between light and noble-gas spins that is mediated by alkali atoms. We demonstrate the optical excitation of the noble-gas spins and observe the coherent back action on the light in the form of high-contrast two-photon spectra. We report on a record two-photon linewidth of 5 ± 0.7 mHz above room temperature, corresponding to a 1-min coherence time. This experiment provides a demonstration of coherent bidirectional coupling between light and noble-gas spins, rendering their long-lived spin coherence accessible for manipulations in the optical domain.

arXiv:2102.00229•Science Advances•Apr 2, 2021•27 citations

Observation of Ultra-narrow Electromagnetically Induced Transparency and Slow Light using Purely Electronic Spins in a Hot Atomic Vapor

Fabienne Goldfarb, Joyee Ghosh, Marie-Claude David +6 more

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is observed in gaseous 4He at room temperature. Ultra-narrow (less than 10 kHz) EIT windows are obtained for the first time for purely electronic spins in the presence of Doppler broadening. The positive role of collisions is emphasized through measurements of the power dependence of the EIT resonance. Measurement of slow light opens up possible ways to applications.

•Feb 12, 2008•22 citations

Observation of ultra-narrow electromagnetically induced transparency and slow light using purely electronic spins in a hot atomic vapor

Fabienne Goldfarb, J. Ghosh, M. David +6 more

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is observed in gaseous 4 He at room temperature. Ultra-narrow (less than 10 kHz) EIT windows are obtained for the first time for purely electronic spins in the presence of Doppler broadening. The positive role of collisions is emphasized through measurements of the power dependence of the EIT resonance. The measurement of slow light opens up possible ways to applications.

arXiv:0802.1688•Europhysics Letters (EPL)•May 19, 2008•38 citations

Nuclear Spin Squeezing Based on Spin-Exchange Collisions

He-bin Zhang, Yuanjiang Tang, Yong-Chun Liu

Isolation from environment leads to the days-long lifetime of noble-gas nuclear spins, but also brings great challenges to the preparation, manipulation, and measurement of nuclear-spin quantum states. Here we find that nuclear spin squeezing, with ultra-long lifetime and huge atomic number, can be efficiently obtained and manipulated based on the coherent spin-exchange interaction between alkali-metal and noble-gas ensembles. Thanks to the considerable advantage of our proposal in preparing the spin squeezing of the macroscopic atomic ensemble with a huge atomic number, even the nuclear spin-squeezed state containing 10^20 atoms or more is obtainable with preexisting techniques. Further, the days-long storage and measurement of nuclear spin squeezing can be performed by the coherent manipulation of a magnetic field. This proposal can be implemented in hot atomic ensembles, whose ease of access and high adaptability to various environments will significantly facilitate the research and application of nuclear-spin nonclassical states in precision measurement, quantum information, and fundamental physics.

quant-pharXiv:2607.29046•Physical Review A•Aug 3, 2026•0 citations

Reversal of electromagnetically induced transparency spectrum in an X-ray planar cavity

Xi-Yuan Wang, Li Tian-Jun, Shu-Xing Wang +4 more

Abstract Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) can greatly reduce the group velocity of light, which has extensive applications in optical sensing, optical storage, etc, and it has been widely studied in visible and microwave wavelengths. In the X-ray regime, EIT was realized in an X-ray thin-film planar cavity, while the detection of the transparency window in the reflection direction is not easy. Due to the interference between the bare cavity reflection and the nuclear resonance, the spectral line profile can be manipulated by adjusting the phases and amplitudes of different channels. By varying the thickness of the top layer, we demonstrate that in the X-ray regime, the spectral line can be transformed from a dip to a peak at the resonant window while maintaining the slow light effect. The slow light ability is evaluated by calculating the group velocity, the interaction strength, and the clarification of EIT and Autler Townes splitting (ATS). As the interaction strength increases, the X-ray cavity transitions from EIT to EIT-ATS crossover regime, which is consistent with the variation of group velocity. The present work would facilitate the detection of slow X-ray light using the cavity system and be helpful for the EIT and ATS clarification studies.

Chinese Physics B•Mar 23, 2026•0 citations
Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is an important quantum optical phenomenon which provides a crucial tool for light manipulation. However, typically the transparency window is broad, limited by the coherence time of the metastable state. Here, we show that an extremely narrow transparency window can be realized using nuclear spin induced transparency (NSIT), which is achieved by combining the optical field, magnetic field, and the spin-exchange interaction between noble-gas nuclear spins and alkali-metal electronic spins. The width of the NSIT window can be several orders of magnitude smaller than that of conventional EIT, and even reaches the sub-mHz range due to the long coherence time of nuclear spins. The scheme holds great potential for applications in slow light and magnetic field sensing.
Electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) in three-level Λ-systems is based on quantum interference effects involving coherence between the two lower levels, which allow propagation of a resonant probe light beam in the presence of a strong coupling field. We have observed transparency in ultra-narrow (<10 kHz) windows at the resonant 1.083 μm transition for purely electronic spins in gaseous 4 He* at room temperature. Slow light is an interesting outcome of the EIT phenomenon due to extreme dispersion within the narrow transparency window. We have obtained group delays of about 4 μs in a 2.5 cm long He* cell. A complete theoretical analysis explains our observations emphasizing the positive role of collisions. Slow light with 1-GHz Doppler broadening opens the door to applications of controllable large-bandwidth delays in radars.
Nuclear spins of noble gases feature extremely long coherence times but are inaccessible to optical photons. Here, we realize a coherent interface between light and noble-gas spins that is mediated by alkali atoms. We demonstrate the optical excitation of the noble-gas spins and observe the coherent back action on the light in the form of high-contrast two-photon spectra. We report on a record two-photon linewidth of 5 ± 0.7 mHz above room temperature, corresponding to a 1-min coherence time. This experiment provides a demonstration of coherent bidirectional coupling between light and noble-gas spins, rendering their long-lived spin coherence accessible for manipulations in the optical domain.
Isolation from environment leads to the days-long lifetime of noble-gas nuclear spins, but also brings great challenges to the preparation, manipulation, and measurement of nuclear-spin quantum states. Here we find that nuclear spin squeezing, with ultra-long lifetime and huge atomic number, can be efficiently obtained and manipulated based on the coherent spin-exchange interaction between alkali-metal and noble-gas ensembles. Thanks to the considerable advantage of our proposal in preparing the spin squeezing of the macroscopic atomic ensemble with a huge atomic number, even the nuclear spin-squeezed state containing 10^20 atoms or more is obtainable with preexisting techniques. Further, the days-long storage and measurement of nuclear spin squeezing can be performed by the coherent manipulation of a magnetic field. This proposal can be implemented in hot atomic ensembles, whose ease of access and high adaptability to various environments will significantly facilitate the research and application of nuclear-spin nonclassical states in precision measurement, quantum information, and fundamental physics.
Abstract Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) can greatly reduce the group velocity of light, which has extensive applications in optical sensing, optical storage, etc, and it has been widely studied in visible and microwave wavelengths. In the X-ray regime, EIT was realized in an X-ray thin-film planar cavity, while the detection of the transparency window in the reflection direction is not easy. Due to the interference between the bare cavity reflection and the nuclear resonance, the spectral line profile can be manipulated by adjusting the phases and amplitudes of different channels. By varying the thickness of the top layer, we demonstrate that in the X-ray regime, the spectral line can be transformed from a dip to a peak at the resonant window while maintaining the slow light effect. The slow light ability is evaluated by calculating the group velocity, the interaction strength, and the clarification of EIT and Autler Townes splitting (ATS). As the interaction strength increases, the X-ray cavity transitions from EIT to EIT-ATS crossover regime, which is consistent with the variation of group velocity. The present work would facilitate the detection of slow X-ray light using the cavity system and be helpful for the EIT and ATS clarification studies.