Hamburg 2009 – scientific programme

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SYKM: Lichtausbreitung in kohärent präparierten Medien

SYKM 1: Lichtausbreitung in kohärent präparierten Medien I

SYKM 1.4: Talk

Thursday, March 5, 2009, 15:30–15:45, VMP 6 HS-D

Resonance beating of light stored using atomic spinor polaritons — •Leon Karpa, Frank Vewinger, and Martin weitz — Institut für Angewandte Physik der Universitsität Bonn, Wegelerstr. 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is a quantum interference effect that allows for the transmission of light through an otherwise opaque atomic medium [1]. Media exhibiting EIT have remarkable properties, as very low group velocities [2]. Associated with a slow light propagation are quasiparticles, the so-called dark polaritons, which propagate through the medium with the speed of the group velocity [3]. We investigate the storage of light in atomic rubidium vapor using a multilevel-tripod scheme. In the system, two collective dark polariton modes exist, forming an effective spinor quasiparticle. Storage of light is performed by dynamically reducing the optical group velocity to zero. After releasing the stored pulse, a beating of the two reaccelerated optical modes is monitored. The observed beating signal oscillates at an atomic transition frequency, opening the way to novel quantum limited measurements of atomic resonance frequencies and quantum switches [4].

[1] See e.g.: M. Fleischhauer, A. Imamoglu, and J. P. Marangos, Rev. Mod. Phys. 77, 633 (2005).

[2] See e.g.: L. V. Hau et al. Nature (London) 397, 594 (1999).

[3] M. Fleischhauer and M. D. Lukin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 5094 (2000).

[4] L. Karpa, F. Vewinger, and M. Weitz, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 170406 (2008).