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Slow and Fast Light (SL)

Demonstration of bi-chromatic channelization slow light in rubidium vapor

Zachary Dutton, Mark Bashkansky, Fredrik K. Fatemi, John F. Reintjes, Michael Steiner, V. L. Jacobs

Published Jan 1, 2006• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate EIT-based slow light delay of modulated light with frequency widths far exceeding the EIT linewidth. Using a magnetic field to split two EIT resonances, we employ a two-color version of the “channelization” technique.
DOI
10.1364/sl.2006.tua3

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We propose a "channelization" architecture to achieve wide-band electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and ultra-slow light propagation in atomic Rb-87 vapors. EIT and slow light are achieved by shining a strong, resonant "pump" laser on the atomic medium, which allows slow and unattenuated propagation of a weaker "signal" beam, but only when a two-photon resonance condition is satisfied. Our wideband architecture is accomplished by dispersing a wideband signal spatially, transverse to the propagation direction, prior to entering the atomic cell. When particular Zeeman sub-levels are used in the EIT system, then one can introduce a magnetic field with a linear gradient such that the two-photon resonance condition is satisfied for each individual frequency component. Because slow light is a group velocity effect, utilizing differential phase shifts across the spectrum of a light pulse, one must then introduce a slight mismatch from perfect resonance to induce a delay. We present a model which accounts for diffusion of the atoms in the varying magnetic field as well as interaction with levels outside the ideal three-level system on which EIT is based. We find the maximum delay-bandwidth product decreases with bandwidth, and that delay-bandwidth product 1 should be achievable with bandwidth 50 MHz (5 ns delay). This is a large improvement over the 1 MHz bandwidths in conventional slow light systems and could be of use in signal processing applications.
We carry out an analysis of an earlier proposed "channelization" architecture for wideband slow light propagation and pulse delays in atomic vapors using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). In the channelization architecture, a wideband input signal pulse is spatially dispersed in the transverse dimension, sent through an EIT medium consisting of an initially spin-polarized atomic vapor illuminated by a monochromatic, co-propagating pump laser, then spatially recombined. An inhomogenous magnetic field is used to Zeeman shift the atomic vapor into two-photon (Raman) resonance with the signal-pump transitions at all locations. Extending on previous analyses, we show in detail how the reconstructed pulse will be delayed only if a slight mis-match from the two-photon resonance is introduced. If the desired delay is taken as a constrained parameter, we find the bandwidth can be increased by large factor. We present an analytic treatment which optimizes the bandwidth given a desired delay and constraints on the pump power and focusing. We find bandwidth increases on the order of 5 times (100 MHz versus 20 MHz) should be possible for delays of interest (10 ns) to applications in telecommunications and radar. Interestingly, due to the mis-match requirement, we find the channelization can not increase the optimal delay-bandwidth product over conventional slow light.
This study demonstrates a metamaterial with two coupled split-ring resonators (SRR) can exhibit an effect reminiscent of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), a coherent process normally observed in three-level atomic media. The coupling between two SRR induces a frequency splitting in the spectral response of the metamaterial, opening up a narrow transmission band in the centre of the absorption line. The obtained reduction in group velocity together with the low absorption is useful for a variety of slow-light applications, without the need for the extreme cooling or the large magnetic fields that are typically required for EIT in atomic systems.