We have experimentally studied the transient behaviors of photon switching by quantum interference in laser-cooled $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{atoms}$ . The experimental results are consistent with theoretical predictions. We show that the rise time of the probe absorption cannot be less than $2∕\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$ where $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$ is the spontaneous decay rate of the excited states. In the low-intensity limit, the rise time is equal to $2\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}∕({\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{c}^{2}+{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{s}^{2})$ for the scheme used here, where ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{c}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{s}$ are the Rabi frequencies of the coupling and switching fields. A simple picture based on the dark and nondark states is provided to explain these transient behaviors.We have experimentally studied the transient behaviors of photon switching by quantum interference in laser-cooled $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{atoms}$. The experimental results are consistent with theoretical predictions. We show that the rise time of the probe absorption cannot be less than $2∕\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$ where $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$ is the spontaneous decay rate of the excited states. In the low-intensity limit, the rise time is equal to $2\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}∕({\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{c}^{2}+{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{s}^{2})$ for the scheme used here, where ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{c}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{s}$ are the Rabi frequencies of the coupling and switching fields. A simple picture based on the dark and nondark states is provided to explain these transient behaviors.

Physical Review AJun 2, 200423 citations

We have experimentally studied the transient behaviors of photon switching by quantum interference in laser-cooled

^{87}\mathrm{Rb}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{atoms}

. The experimental results are consistent with theoretical predictions. We show that the rise time of the probe absorption cannot be less than $2∕\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$ where $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$ is the spontaneous decay rate of the excited states. In the low-intensity limit, the rise time is equal to $2\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}∕({\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{c}^{2}+{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{s}^{2})$ for the scheme used here, where ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{c}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{s}$ are the Rabi frequencies of the coupling and switching fields. A simple picture based on the dark and nondark states is provided to explain these transient behaviors.