Open AccessPrecise control of superluminal and slow light propagation by transverse phase modulation
Author(s) -
I. Guedes,
Lino Misoguti,
Sérgio Carlos Zílio
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.14.006201
Subject(s) - superluminal motion , optics , physics , phase modulation , group velocity , transverse plane , modulation (music) , light beam , phase (matter) , group delay and phase delay , heterodyne (poetry) , quantum mechanics , bandwidth (computing) , phase noise , telecommunications , structural engineering , computer science , acoustics , engineering
We have used a heterodyne Z-scan technique to produce both superluminal and slow light propagation in media that present either thermal or Kerr nonlinearities. The sample position determines the magnitude and sign of the group velocity and this property was used to control it, with an experimental setup much simpler than those previously reported in similar investigations. The observed effect is attributed to the transverse phase modulation produced by a focused Gaussian beam, and is capable of producing both positive and negative group velocities in the range 1.5 m/s < |upsilon(g)| < c.