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

Electromagnetically Induced Transparency: Propagation Dynamics

A. Kasapi, Maneesh Jain, G. Y. Yin, Stephen E. Harris

Published Mar 27, 1995• 667 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe the temporal and spatial dynamics of propagating electromagnetically induced transparency pulses in an optically thick medium. Results include pulse velocities as slow as $c/165$ with 55% transmission, strong-probe-field effects, and the observation of near diffraction-limited transmitted beam quality.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.74.2447

Related papers

EFFECTS OF MODULATION SCHEMES ON OPTICAL PULSES TRANSITING AN ELECTROMAGNETICALLY INDUCED TRANSPARENT MEDIUM

Wachter, Christian F.

This thesis investigates the result of modulation schemes in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in rubidium vapor. Through the process of EIT, a control beam can be used to change the optical properties of a medium experienced by a probe field, generating a transparency window. The corresponding change in index of refraction results in slowed group velocity while the beam propagates through the medium. Modulation is used to transmit a message signal through a medium. In classical systems, this entails converting data into a radio frequency by adding a message to an electronic or optical carrier signal. The properties of EIT, light-slowing, and their impacts on a probe pulse with modulation will be confirmed through a detailed semi-classical analysis and by experimental observation.

•Sep 1, 2023•0 citations

Two-way transparency in the light-matter interaction: Optical precursors with electromagnetically induced transparency

Heejeong Jeong, Shengwang Du

We theoretically study classical step-modulated pulse propagation in an optically thick medium with electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) using a fast Fourier transform and a proposed hybrid-asymptotic analysis. The 100% transmitted leading edge traveling at $c$ consists of Sommerfeld-Brillouin precursors. The main signal, falling inside of the narrow EIT window, experiences a steep dispersion and slow group velocity. We suggest active control of the precursors and main signal separately by adjusting the parameters of the medium and incident pulse.

Physical Review A•Jan 8, 2009•37 citations

Slow-light dynamics from electromagnetically-induced-transparency spectra

Mason Klein, Michael Hohensee, Yanhong Xiao +3 more

We show how slow-light pulse delays in realistic electromagnetically-induced-transparency (EIT) media can be determined directly from static transmission spectra. Using only the measured EIT linewidth and off-resonant transmission, the absolute delay of a slow-light pulse in an optically thick, power-broadened medium can be simply and accurately determined, while capturing more complex optical pumping behavior.

Physical Review A•May 18, 2009•23 citations

Dynamical control of pulse propagation in electromagnetically induced transparency

Martin Kiffner, Tarak Nath Dey

The influence of a phase-modulated control field on the phenomenon of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is investigated theoretically. We show that the phase modulation changes the dispersive properties of the medium considerably since it results in temporal oscillations of the transparency window in frequency space. This is in marked contrast to the standard EIT setup, where the transparency window is fixed and determined by the two-photon resonance condition. In particular, we find that the phase modulation enables the propagation of probe pulses with disjoint frequency spectra at different times and allows the shifting of the central frequency of a probe pulse almost without distortion of its shape. We employ the time-dependent susceptibility of the medium to explain and analyze our results and demonstrate that this concept yields qualitative as well as quantitative agreement with the numerical integration of Maxwell-Bloch equations. Our theoretical model can be applied to other media with time-dependent susceptibilities.

Physical Review A•Feb 24, 2009•9 citations

Optical filter with electromagnetically induced transparency

J. Odeurs, R. N. Shakhmuratov

This report shows that the electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) window can be used as a time-to-frequency filter for the probe pulse whose spectrum is much broader than the width of the EIT window. This study demonstrates that the narrow spectral region of the pulse, coincident with the EIT window, develops in a long Gaussian pulse with slow group velocity. An analytical theory is developed describing the propagation of a small amplitude pulse through an optically dense absorptive medium with a narrow EIT window.

European Quantum Electronics Conference (EQEC)•Jan 18, 2006•0 citations

Propagation of ultrashort pulses in multilevel systems under electromagnetically induced transparency

Luı́s E. E. de Araujo

In this paper, I numerically investigate the propagation of ultrashort pulses through an extended collection of multilevel systems under the condition of electromagnetically induced transparency. The transparency of a weak probe pulse is induced by a much stronger coupling pulse. In the limit of a weak probe excitation and a large number of excited states, I show that the free-induction decay signal that would naturally follow the excitation pulse is strongly suppressed, and the envelope of the probe pulse suffers a distortion in its temporal profile as the pulse propagates into the medium. This distortion is characterized by a stronger absorption of the leading edge of the pulse than that of its trailing edge. The temporal phase of the pulse, however, remains constant throughout propagation.

Physical Review A•May 25, 2006•6 citations
We describe the temporal and spatial dynamics of propagating electromagnetically induced transparency pulses in an optically thick medium. Results include pulse velocities as slow as c/165c/165c/165 with 55% transmission, strong-probe-field effects, and the observation of near diffraction-limited transmitted beam quality.
This thesis investigates the result of modulation schemes in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in rubidium vapor. Through the process of EIT, a control beam can be used to change the optical properties of a medium experienced by a probe field, generating a transparency window. The corresponding change in index of refraction results in slowed group velocity while the beam propagates through the medium. Modulation is used to transmit a message signal through a medium. In classical systems, this entails converting data into a radio frequency by adding a message to an electronic or optical carrier signal. The properties of EIT, light-slowing, and their impacts on a probe pulse with modulation will be confirmed through a detailed semi-classical analysis and by experimental observation.
We theoretically study classical step-modulated pulse propagation in an optically thick medium with electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) using a fast Fourier transform and a proposed hybrid-asymptotic analysis. The 100% transmitted leading edge traveling at ccc consists of Sommerfeld-Brillouin precursors. The main signal, falling inside of the narrow EIT window, experiences a steep dispersion and slow group velocity. We suggest active control of the precursors and main signal separately by adjusting the parameters of the medium and incident pulse.
The influence of a phase-modulated control field on the phenomenon of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is investigated theoretically. We show that the phase modulation changes the dispersive properties of the medium considerably since it results in temporal oscillations of the transparency window in frequency space. This is in marked contrast to the standard EIT setup, where the transparency window is fixed and determined by the two-photon resonance condition. In particular, we find that the phase modulation enables the propagation of probe pulses with disjoint frequency spectra at different times and allows the shifting of the central frequency of a probe pulse almost without distortion of its shape. We employ the time-dependent susceptibility of the medium to explain and analyze our results and demonstrate that this concept yields qualitative as well as quantitative agreement with the numerical integration of Maxwell-Bloch equations. Our theoretical model can be applied to other media with time-dependent susceptibilities.
This report shows that the electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) window can be used as a time-to-frequency filter for the probe pulse whose spectrum is much broader than the width of the EIT window. This study demonstrates that the narrow spectral region of the pulse, coincident with the EIT window, develops in a long Gaussian pulse with slow group velocity. An analytical theory is developed describing the propagation of a small amplitude pulse through an optically dense absorptive medium with a narrow EIT window.
In this paper, I numerically investigate the propagation of ultrashort pulses through an extended collection of multilevel systems under the condition of electromagnetically induced transparency. The transparency of a weak probe pulse is induced by a much stronger coupling pulse. In the limit of a weak probe excitation and a large number of excited states, I show that the free-induction decay signal that would naturally follow the excitation pulse is strongly suppressed, and the envelope of the probe pulse suffers a distortion in its temporal profile as the pulse propagates into the medium. This distortion is characterized by a stronger absorption of the leading edge of the pulse than that of its trailing edge. The temporal phase of the pulse, however, remains constant throughout propagation.