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Physical Review A

Transients of the electromagnetically-induced-transparency-enhanced refractive Kerr nonlinearity

Michael Vern Pack, Ryan M. Camacho, John C. Howell

Published Sep 28, 2007• 28 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report observations of the dynamics of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ system when the ground states are Stark shifted. Interactions of this type exhibit large optical nonlinearities called Kerr nonlinearities, and have numerous applications. The EIT Kerr nonlinearity is relatively slow, which is a limiting factor that may make many potential applications impossible. Using rubidium atoms, we observe the dynamics of the EIT Kerr nonlinearity using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to measure phase modulation of the EIT fields resulting from a pulsed signal beam Stark shifting the ground state energy levels. The rise times and transients agree well with theory.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.76.033835

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We report observations of the dynamics of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a \ensuremathΛ\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremathΛ system when the ground states are Stark shifted. Interactions of this type exhibit large optical nonlinearities called Kerr nonlinearities, and have numerous applications. The EIT Kerr nonlinearity is relatively slow, which is a limiting factor that may make many potential applications impossible. Using rubidium atoms, we observe the dynamics of the EIT Kerr nonlinearity using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to measure phase modulation of the EIT fields resulting from a pulsed signal beam Stark shifting the ground state energy levels. The rise times and transients agree well with theory.
We present a theory describing the transients and rise times of the refractive Kerr nonlinearity which is enhanced using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We restrict our analysis to the case of a pulsed signal field with continuous-wave EIT fields, and all fields are well below saturation. These restrictions enable the reduction of an EIT Kerr, four-level, density-matrix equation to a two-level Bloch-vector equation which has a simple and physically intuitive algebraic solution. The physically intuitive picture of a two-level Bloch vector provides insights that are easily generalized to more complex and experimentally realistic models. We consider generalization to the cases of Doppler broadening, many-level EIT systems (we consider the D1D1D1 line of 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb), and optically thick media. For the case of optically thick media we find that the rise time of the refractive EIT Kerr effect is proportional to the optical thickness. The rise time of the refractive EIT Kerr effect sets important limitations for potential few-photon applications.
This thesis presents theoretical derivations and experimental demonstrations of Kerr optical nonlinearities and their dynamics. The Kerr nonlinearity studied is based on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), and is known for having an unusually large cross-phase modulation (XPM) [1]. Also, quantum nondemolition (QND) measurements of photon number using the EIT Kerr nonlinearity are discussed. We first discuss the EIT line shapes in hot atomic vapors both with and without buffer gasses, and for the specific case of EIT line shapes on the D1 line of rubidium. Using a Bloch-vector formalism to describe EIT, we derive new expressions describing the dynamical evolution of the EIT Kerr nonlinearity and the rise-time of the EIT Kerr effect. The theory of the EIT Kerr dynamics is confirmed by experiments using hot rubidium vapor in a buffer gas. These experimental observations confirm that the rise-time of the EIT Kerr effect is linearly proportional to the optical thickness of the EIT medium and inversely proportional to the width of the EIT transparency resonance.
A four-level inverted-Y scheme with an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) core is investigated for the enhancement of cross-Kerr effect in rubidium atoms. When detunings of the coupling and control fields are appropriately set, an enhanced EIT window is observed, and the induced phase shift of the probe field due to cross-phase modulation (XPM) is obtained by measuring the dispersive property of the probe transition. The maximal XPM phase shift is about 12° under the current experimental conditions. The experimental measurements agree well with the theoretical calculations. The enhanced XPM phase shift in such an atomic system has applications in quantum nonlinear optics and quantum information science.
Summary form only given. The reduced absorption and enhanced nonlinearity in a three-level electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) system are very important in achieving an effective all-optical switching action. The Kerr-nonlinear index of refraction of a three-level EIT medium can be greatly enhanced near resonance due to atomic coherence induced in such a system in comparison with a two-level atomic system, as we have shown by using an optical ring cavity. Both the magnitude and sign of the Kerr-nonlinear index change dramatically for different frequency detunings of the controlling (or coupling) or cavity (or probe) field. Bistability and dynamic instability occur when such a three-level /spl Lambda/-type EIT system is placed inside an optical ring cavity and the controlling and cavity input intensities to exceed certain threshold values. In this paper, we present a recent experimental demonstration of controlling the cavity output intensity by modulating the frequency detuning of the controlling beam.
A time-dependent perturbation calculation for a four-level system is presented. A resonantly enhanced Kerr nonlinearity is produced with a combination of long, short, and delayed laser pulses in the presence of electromagnetically induced transparency. We show the enhanced Kerr nonlinearity and vanishingly small linear susceptibility due to the induced transparency, both are favorable for cross-phase modulation. In addition, we show that possible constructive and destructive interference between different excitation pathways could also lead to enhancement and suppression of the Kerr nonlinearity.