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

Physical Review Letters

Observation of electromagnetically induced transparency

Klaus J. Boller, Ataç İmamoğlu, Stephen E. Harris

Published May 20, 1991• 3,061 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report the first demonstration of a technique by which an optically thick medium may be rendered transparent. The transparency results from a destructive interference of two dressed states which are created by applying a temporally smooth coupling laser between a bound state of an atom and the upper state of the transition which is to be made transparent. The transmittance of an autoionizing (ultraviolet) transition in Sr is changed from exp(-20) without a coupling laser present to exp(-1) in the presence of a coupling laser.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.66.2593

Related papers

Observation of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency

Ataç İmamoğlu, Klaus J. Boller, Stephen E. Harris

We report the results of an experiment showing how an opaque atomic transition in neutral Sr may be rendered transparent to radiation at its resonance frequency. This is accomplished by applying an electromagnetic coupling field (Fig. 1) between the upper state 4d5d1D2 of the transition and another state 4d5p 1D2 of the atom. When the Rabi frequency of the coupling field exceeds the inhomogeneous width of the 5s5p1P1−4d5d1D2 transition, the medium becomes transparent on line center. In this work, we have changed the transmittance of neutral strontium from exp(−20) without a coupling laser to exp(−1) in the presence of a coupling laser, over a spectral range of 6 GHz (Fig. 2). The coupling laser that we have used is a single mode Littman dye laser with an intensity of 10 MW/ cm2 .

Short Wavelength Coherent Radiation: Generation and Applications•Jan 1, 1991•56 citations

Quantum Theory of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency

Daniel F. Walls, Klaus M. Gheri

There have recently been several experiments which have observed electromagnetically induced transparency in atomic systems(1,2) This is based on the population trapping which may occur when two lower states are coupled to a common upper state by two laser fields. Due to destructive quantum mechanical interference this gives rise to a nonabsorbing resonance. Thus a strongly absorbing atomic transition may be rendered opaque.

Nonlinear Optics•Jan 1, 1992•0 citations

Constructive interference: electromagnetically induced absorption

Li Wang, Xiangming Hu, 华中师范大学物理系,武汉 430079

In this paper we reveal that the constructive interference of atomic coherence on absorption leads to electromagnetically induced absorption,which is in sharp contrast to the case in which destructive interference of atomic coherence gives rise to electromagnetically induced transparency. A four-level atomic system is employed in which three transitions are in N configuration and the middle transition is used as a probe transition. In the dressed states representation the probe transition is split into four transitions that are coupled to each other. The coupling originates from the spontaneous emission of the atomic medium and the spontaneous transfer from excited state coherence to ground state coherence. The former leads to couplings between all transitions with the same sign and to the absorption reduction. The latter results in couplings,of which t wo terms have positive sign and another two have negative sign. It is due to the couplings with positive and negative signs that significant modification of the contribution of dressed coherence to absorption occurs,i.e., absorption inhibition is changed to absorption enhancement.

Acta Physica Sinica•Jan 1, 2004•23 citations

Experiments in eleetromagnctically induced transparency

A. Kasapi, G. Y. Yin, Maneesh Jain +2 more

When narrowband probe radiation traveling through a bulk material is tuned to a resonance transition from the ground state of the material, the radiation experiences strong attenuation and dispersion. Recent theoretical1 and experimental2,3 work has demonstrated that this attenuation can be almost completely eliminated by the addition of a strong coherent coupling radiation field coupling a third state to the upper state of the resonance transition. In effect, a destructive quantum interference blocks the excitation of the atom from its ground state and renders the atom transparent. We term this effect “electromagnetically induced transparency.”

•May 8, 1994•0 citations

Electromagnetically induced two-photon transparency in rubidium atoms

Dong Wang, Jinwei Gao, J. H. Xu +2 more

We present an experimental demonstration of electromagnetically induced two-photon transparency (EITT) in room temperature rubidium vapor. The 8 S 1/2 to 5 P 1/2 fluorescence is used to monitor the 5 S 1/2 ( F = 3) to 8 S 1/2 ( F = 3) two-photon absorption near resonance with the intermediate state 5 P 3/2 . A controlling pump laser beam is employed to coherently couple the 5 P 3/2 and 5 D 5/2 states, thus producing two dressed intermediate states which give rise to destructive interference in the two-photon transition. An induced two-photon transparency of about 80% has been obtained at resonance; our experimental findings are in good agreement with the general theory of Agarwal et al. ( Phys. Rev. Lett. , 77 (1996) 1039), when the appropriate spectroscopic parameters are used.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•May 1, 2001•15 citations

Suppression of laser-induced collisional autoionization through electromagnetically induced transparency

Roberto Buffa

The effect of electromagnetically induced transparency on laser-induced collisional autoionization is investigated. The process, occurring only during atomic collisions and transient in nature, is characterized by the formation of a quasimolecule that can be ionized through the excitation to a pair of interfering dressed states decaying into the same continuum of ionization. Ionization suppression of the order of 70% is predicted for dressing laser intensities of the order of a few tens of MW/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.

Physical Review A•Jan 1, 1996•2 citations
We report the first demonstration of a technique by which an optically thick medium may be rendered transparent. The transparency results from a destructive interference of two dressed states which are created by applying a temporally smooth coupling laser between a bound state of an atom and the upper state of the transition which is to be made transparent. The transmittance of an autoionizing (ultraviolet) transition in Sr is changed from exp(-20) without a coupling laser present to exp(-1) in the presence of a coupling laser.
We report the results of an experiment showing how an opaque atomic transition in neutral Sr may be rendered transparent to radiation at its resonance frequency. This is accomplished by applying an electromagnetic coupling field (Fig. 1) between the upper state 4d5d1D2 of the transition and another state 4d5p 1D2 of the atom. When the Rabi frequency of the coupling field exceeds the inhomogeneous width of the 5s5p1P1−4d5d1D2 transition, the medium becomes transparent on line center. In this work, we have changed the transmittance of neutral strontium from exp(−20) without a coupling laser to exp(−1) in the presence of a coupling laser, over a spectral range of 6 GHz (Fig. 2). The coupling laser that we have used is a single mode Littman dye laser with an intensity of 10 MW/ cm2 .
In this paper we reveal that the constructive interference of atomic coherence on absorption leads to electromagnetically induced absorption,which is in sharp contrast to the case in which destructive interference of atomic coherence gives rise to electromagnetically induced transparency. A four-level atomic system is employed in which three transitions are in N configuration and the middle transition is used as a probe transition. In the dressed states representation the probe transition is split into four transitions that are coupled to each other. The coupling originates from the spontaneous emission of the atomic medium and the spontaneous transfer from excited state coherence to ground state coherence. The former leads to couplings between all transitions with the same sign and to the absorption reduction. The latter results in couplings,of which t wo terms have positive sign and another two have negative sign. It is due to the couplings with positive and negative signs that significant modification of the contribution of dressed coherence to absorption occurs,i.e., absorption inhibition is changed to absorption enhancement.
When narrowband probe radiation traveling through a bulk material is tuned to a resonance transition from the ground state of the material, the radiation experiences strong attenuation and dispersion. Recent theoretical1 and experimental2,3 work has demonstrated that this attenuation can be almost completely eliminated by the addition of a strong coherent coupling radiation field coupling a third state to the upper state of the resonance transition. In effect, a destructive quantum interference blocks the excitation of the atom from its ground state and renders the atom transparent. We term this effect “electromagnetically induced transparency.”
We present an experimental demonstration of electromagnetically induced two-photon transparency (EITT) in room temperature rubidium vapor. The 8 S 1/2 to 5 P 1/2 fluorescence is used to monitor the 5 S 1/2 ( F = 3) to 8 S 1/2 ( F = 3) two-photon absorption near resonance with the intermediate state 5 P 3/2 . A controlling pump laser beam is employed to coherently couple the 5 P 3/2 and 5 D 5/2 states, thus producing two dressed intermediate states which give rise to destructive interference in the two-photon transition. An induced two-photon transparency of about 80% has been obtained at resonance; our experimental findings are in good agreement with the general theory of Agarwal et al. ( Phys. Rev. Lett. , 77 (1996) 1039), when the appropriate spectroscopic parameters are used.
The effect of electromagnetically induced transparency on laser-induced collisional autoionization is investigated. The process, occurring only during atomic collisions and transient in nature, is characterized by the formation of a quasimolecule that can be ionized through the excitation to a pair of interfering dressed states decaying into the same continuum of ionization. Ionization suppression of the order of 70% is predicted for dressing laser intensities of the order of a few tens of MW/cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.