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arXiv:physics/0009034

Has superluminal light propagation been observed?

Yuan‐Zhong Zhang

Published Sep 10, 2000• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

It says in the report$^1$ by Wang et al. that a negative group velocity $u=-c/310$ is obtained and that a pulse advancement shift 62-ns is measured. The authors claim that the negative group velocity is associated with superluminal light propagation and that the pulse advancement is not at odds with causality or special relativity. However, it is shown here that their conclusions above are not true. Furthermore, I give some suggestion concerning a re-definition of group-velocity and a new explanation in special relativity of causality.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.physics/0009034

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It says in the report1^11 by Wang et al. that a negative group velocity u=−c/310u=-c/310u=−c/310 is obtained and that a pulse advancement shift 62-ns is measured. The authors claim that the negative group velocity is associated with superluminal light propagation and that the pulse advancement is not at odds with causality or special relativity. However, it is shown here that their conclusions above are not true. Furthermore, I give some suggestion concerning a re-definition of group-velocity and a new explanation in special relativity of causality.
The mechanisms leading to a seemingly superluminal propagation of light in dispersive media are examined. The anomalous dispersion near an absorption line, involved in the first experiments displaying negative group velocity propagation, is shown to be not only simpler but also more efficient than the so-called transparent dispersion used in the later experiments of Wang et al. (Nature (London) 406, 277 (2000)) and of Dogariu et al. (Phys.Rev.A 63, 053806 (2001)). The modest pulse advances observed by these authors can in particular be reproduced with a better overall transmittance of the medium and the significant advances attained with a single-line arrangement would probably be unattainable with their gain-doublet arrangement.
Anomalous dispersion cannot occur in a transparent passive medium where electromagnetic radiation is being absorbed at all frequencies, as pointed out by Landau and Lifshitz. Here we show, both theoretically and experimentally, that transparent linear anomalous dispersion can occur when a gain doublet is present. Therefore, a superluminal light-pulse propagation can be observed even at a negative 7group velocity through a transparent medium with almost no pulse distortion. Consequently, a negative transit time is experimentally observed resulting in the peak of the incident light pulse to exit the medium even before entering it. This counterintuitive effect is a direct result of the rephasing process owing to the wave nature of light and is not at odds with either causality or Einstein's theory of special relativity.
In last decade,faster-than-light(superluminal) propagation of short waves,microwaves,light waves and THz waves has been studied experimentally in several countries.Many of the attempts to send pulses faster than the speed of light involved a phonomenon called negative-velocities wave propagation.In this paper,we give a bird-eye view of the theoretical and experimental research work on negative-velocities wave propagation.For example and experimentally,a light pulse propagating through the atomic vapor cell has its peak reaching the exit side before entering it,resulting in a negative transit time,and negative group velocity.So that the group velocity vg can be greater than the velocity of light c,can be infinite and even negative.In recent years,many superluminal phenomena of negative-velocities have been discovered in experiments and observations,so we say it is a new frontier in sciences research.
Summary form only given. It is well known that the group velocity v/sub g/ of a light pulse can exceed c in an anomalously dispersive medium. As discussed many years ago by Sommerfeld and Brillouin, a group velocity greater than c does not violate causality because it is not the velocity of information transmission. They noted that the "frontal velocity," the velocity at which an infinitely sharp step-function-like disturbance of the light intensity propagates, can serve as a velocity of information transfer. We suggest here an operational definition of the signal velocity and apply it to the recently observed superluminal propagation of a light pulse in a gain medium.
Summary form only given. We use gain-assisted linear anomalous dispersion to demonstrate superluminal light pulse propagation with a negative group velocity through a transparent atomic medium. We place two Raman gain peaks closely to obtain an essentially lossless anomalous dispersion region that results in a superluminal group velocity. The group velocity of a pulse in this region exceeds c and can even become negative,while the shape of the pulse is preserved. We measured a negative group velocity index of n/sub g/=-315(/spl plusmn/5). Experimentally, a light pulse propagating through the spin-polarized atomic vapor cell exits from it earlier than propagating through the same distance in vacuum by a time difference that is 315 times of the vacuum light propagation time L/c=0.2 ns.
Abstract This paper considers the question of superluminal (or negative) group velocities of signals in dispersive media, as well as negative group delay times of signals passing through linear filters. It is shown that information can be transmitted only with the help of jumps in the time dependence of a function or its derivatives and, therefore, the information propagation velocity in any (including dispersive, absorbing, or amplifying) medium exactly coincides with the speed of light in vacuum. As for the group velocity of a wave packet, it is only the propagation velocity of its infinitely differentiable envelope, by means of which the transmission of information, strictly speaking, is impossible. Therefore, in regions with anomalous dispersion, the group velocity can be superluminal or negative without violating the “light limitation” of the theory of relativity or the principle of causality. Examples of situations in which superluminal or negative group velocity occurs are given.