Open AccessSlowing light down by low magnetic fields: pulse delay by transient spectral hole-burning in ruby
Author(s) -
Hans Riesen,
Aleksander Rebane,
A. Szabó,
Ivana Carceller
Publication year - 2012
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.20.019039
Subject(s) - optics , transient (computer programming) , pulse (music) , spectral hole burning , physics , excited state , population , magnetic field , atomic physics , materials science , laser , demography , quantum mechanics , detector , sociology , computer science , operating system
We report on the observation of slow light induced by transient spectral hole-burning in a solid, that is based on excited-state population storage. Experiments were conducted in the R1-line (2E←4A2 transition) of a 2.3 mm thick pink ruby (Al2O3:Cr(III) 130 ppm). Importantly, the pulse delay can be controlled by the application of a low external magnetic field B||c≤9 mT and delays of up to 11 ns with minimal pulse distortion are observed for ~55 ns Gaussian pulses. The delay corresponds to a group velocity value of ~c/1400. The experiment is very well modelled by linear spectral filter theory and the results indicate the possibility of using transient hole-burning based slow light experiments as a spectroscopic technique.