Open AccessArbitrarily copropagating superluminal and slow light by controllable one-photon detuning in trapped cold atoms
Author(s) -
Yanting Zhao,
Jie Ma,
Xianli Zhang,
Lirong Wang,
Xiao Liu,
Suotang Jia
Publication year - 2008
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.16.004747
Subject(s) - laser linewidth , superluminal motion , physics , trapping , optics , atomic physics , group velocity , laser , ultracold atom , dispersion (optics) , caesium , slow light , quantum , photonic crystal , ecology , quantum mechanics , astronomy , nuclear physics , biology
Absorption spectra of cold cesium atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap are observed around the D2 transition line (6S(1/2), F=4-->6P(3/2), F'=5) with the probe laser frequency detuned near the trapping laser frequency. We observe the dispersion-like profile resulted from the stimulated Raman processes with the sub-natural linewidth, and study the behavior of the group velocity of light in trapped cold atoms. By only changing the blue and red detuning of the probe frequency from the trapping laser frequency, we are able to arbitrarily control the speed of a light pulse from subluminal to superluminal velocity.