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Showing papers on "Electromagnetically induced transparency published in 2009"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A nanoplasmonic analogue of EIT is experimentally demonstrated using a stacked optical metamaterial to achieve a very narrow transparency window with high modulation depth owing to nearly complete suppression of radiative losses.
Abstract: In atomic physics, the coherent coupling of a broad and a narrow resonance leads to quantum interference and provides the general recipe for electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). A sharp resonance of nearly perfect transmission can arise within a broad absorption profile. These features show remarkable potential for slow light, novel sensors and low-loss metamaterials. In nanophotonics, plasmonic structures enable large field strengths within small mode volumes. Therefore, combining EIT with nanoplasmonics would pave the way towards ultracompact sensors with extremely high sensitivity. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a nanoplasmonic analogue of EIT using a stacked optical metamaterial. A dipole antenna with a large radiatively broadened linewidth is coupled to an underlying quadrupole antenna, of which the narrow linewidth is solely limited by the fundamental non-radiative Drude damping. In accordance with EIT theory, we achieve a very narrow transparency window with high modulation depth owing to nearly complete suppression of radiative losses. Plasmonic nanostructures enable the concentration of large electric fields into small spaces. The classical analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency has now been achieved in such devices, leading to a narrow resonance in their absorption spectrum. This combination of high electric-field concentration and sharp resonance offers a pathway to ultracompact sensors with extremely high sensitivity.

1,652 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated theoretically that electromagnetically induced transparency can be achieved in metamaterials, in which electromagnetic radiation is interacting resonantly with mesoscopic oscillators rather than with atoms, and these results are confirmed by accurate simulations of the electromagnetic field propagation in the meetamaterial.
Abstract: We demonstrate theoretically that electromagnetically induced transparency can be achieved in metamaterials, in which electromagnetic radiation is interacting resonantly with mesoscopic oscillators rather than with atoms. We describe novel metamaterial designs that can support a full dark resonant state upon interaction with an electromagnetic beam and we present results of its frequency-dependent effective permeability and permittivity. These results, showing a transparency window with extremely low absorption and strong dispersion, are confirmed by accurate simulations of the electromagnetic field propagation in the metamaterial.

620 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a planar metamaterial exhibits a spectral response resembling electromagnetically induced transparency at terahertz frequencies, which can be used to explore quantum-mechanical phenomena using localized resonances in metallic structures.
Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate at terahertz frequencies that a planar metamaterial exhibits a spectral response resembling electromagnetically induced transparency. The metamaterial unit cell consists of a split ring surrounded by another closed ring where their dimensions are such that their excitable lowest order modes have identical resonance frequencies but very different lifetimes. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy verifies that the interference of these two resonances results in a narrow transparency window located within a broad opaque region. In contrast to previous studies this enhanced transmission is achieved by independently exciting two resonances in which their coupling to the radiation field, and thus their linewidth, differs strongly. Rigorous numerical simulations prove that the transparency window is associated with a large group index and low losses, making the design potentially useful for slow light applications. This experiment opens an avenue to explore quantum-mechanical phenomena using localized resonances in metallic structures.

342 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: First observations of deterministic phase- and resonance-controlled all-optical electromagnetically induced transparency in multiple coupled photonic crystal cavities are reported.
Abstract: We report first observations of deterministic phase- and resonance-controlled all-optical electromagnetically induced transparency in multiple coupled photonic crystal cavities. The full-range tuning of coherently coupled cavity-cavity phase and resonances allow observations of transparency resonance in dark states with lifetimes longer than incoherently summed individual cavities. Supported by theoretical analyses, our multipump beam approach allows arbitrary control in two and three coupled cavities, while the standing-wave wavelength-scale photon localization allows direct scalability for chip-scale optical pulse trapping and coupled-cavity QED.

336 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a planar metamaterial with a high-Q antisymmetric trapped current mode and a phase dispersion characteristic to Fano-type resonances of the electromagnetically induced transparency phenomenon is described.
Abstract: We report on a planar metamaterial, the resonant transmission frequency of which does not depend on the polarization and angle of incidence of electromagnetic waves. The resonance results from the excitation of high-Q antisymmetric trapped current mode and shows sharp phase dispersion characteristic to Fano-type resonances of the electromagnetically induced transparency phenomenon.

277 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated theoretically a parallelized C-NOT gate which allows us to entangle a mesoscopic ensemble of atoms with a single control atom in a single step, with high fidelity and on a microsecond time scale.
Abstract: We demonstrate theoretically a parallelized C-NOT gate which allows us to entangle a mesoscopic ensemble of atoms with a single control atom in a single step, with high fidelity and on a microsecond time scale. Our scheme relies on the strong and long-ranged interaction between Rydberg atoms triggering electromagnetically induced transparency. By this we can robustly implement a conditional transfer of all ensemble atoms between two logical states, depending on the state of the control atom. We outline a many-body interferometer which allows a comparison of two many-body quantum states by performing a measurement of the control atom.

260 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Using phase control between four- wave mixing (FWM) and six-wave mixing (SWM) channels in a four-level atomic system, temporal and spatial interferences between these two nonlinear optical processes are demonstrated.
Abstract: Using phase control between four-wave mixing (FWM) and six-wave mixing (SWM) channels in a four-level atomic system, we demonstrate temporal and spatial interferences between these two nonlinear optical processes. Efficient and coexisting FWM and SWM signals are produced in the same electromagnetically induced transparency window via atomic coherence. The temporal interference has a femtosecond time scale corresponding to the optical transition frequency. Such studies of intermixing between different order nonlinear optical processes with a controllable phase delay can have important applications in high-precision measurements, coherence quantum control, and quantum information processing.

208 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
10 Sep 2009-Nature
TL;DR: This work presents a coherent optical memory based on photon echoes induced through controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening that should enable the construction of an optical random-access memory for time-bin quantum information, and have potential applications in quantum information processing.
Abstract: The bandwidth and versatility of optical devices have revolutionized information technology systems and communication networks. Precise and arbitrary control of an optical field that preserves optical coherence is an important requisite for many proposed photonic technologies. For quantum information applications, a device that allows storage and on-demand retrieval of arbitrary quantum states of light would form an ideal quantum optical memory. Recently, significant progress has been made in implementing atomic quantum memories using electromagnetically induced transparency, photon echo spectroscopy, off-resonance Raman spectroscopy and other atom-light interaction processes. Single-photon and bright-optical-field storage with quantum states have both been successfully demonstrated. Here we present a coherent optical memory based on photon echoes induced through controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening. Our scheme allows storage of multiple pulses of light within a chosen frequency bandwidth, and stored pulses can be recalled in arbitrary order with any chosen delay between each recalled pulse. Furthermore, pulses can be time-compressed, time-stretched or split into multiple smaller pulses and recalled in several pieces at chosen times. Although our experimental results are so far limited to classical light pulses, our technique should enable the construction of an optical random-access memory for time-bin quantum information, and have potential applications in quantum information processing.

183 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a hybridized plasmonic-waveguide system exhibiting behavior similar to that of the electromagnetically induced transparency is presented. But the authors focus on the coupling-induced cancellation of the plasmoric resonance.
Abstract: Plasmons in nanoscale structures represent an exciting new route toward efficient manipulation of photons, especially at subwavelength scales. Of particular interest are the hybridized plasmonic systems, in which the interaction among the plasmonic elements can be utilized to tailor the optical responses. Here we demonstrate a hybridized plasmonic-waveguide system exhibiting behavior similar to that of the electromagnetically induced transparency; namely, an ultranarrow transmission line width arising from a coupling-induced cancellation of the plasmonic resonance.

181 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an analog of electromagnetically induced transparency occurring when light is absorbed by a two-dimensional lattice of metallic spheres mounted on an asymmetric dielectric waveguide.
Abstract: We present a classical analog of electromagnetically induced transparency occurring when light is absorbed by a two-dimensional lattice of metallic spheres mounted on an asymmetric dielectric waveguide. The transparency is manifested as a spectral hole within the surface-plasmon absorption peak of the metallic spheres and is a result of destructive interference of the waveguide modes with incident radiation. The presence of transparency windows is accompanied by slow light effect wherein the group velocity is reduced by a factor of 6000. At the same time, the minimum length for storing a bit of information is of the order of 100 nm. The proposed setup is a much easier means to achieve transparency and slow light compared to existing atomic, solid-state, and photonic systems and allows for the realization of ultracompact optical delay lines and buffers.

180 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a planar design of a metamaterial exhibiting electromagnetically induced transparency was presented, which is amenable to experimental verification in the microwave frequency band, based on the coupling of a split-ring resonator with a cut-wire in the same plane.
Abstract: We present a planar design of a metamaterial exhibiting electromagnetically induced transparency that is amenable to experimental verification in the microwave frequency band. The design is based on the coupling of a split-ring resonator with a cut-wire in the same plane. We investigate the sensitivity of the parameters of the transmission window on the coupling strength and on the circuit elements of the individual resonators, and we interpret the results in terms of two linearly coupled Lorentzian resonators. Our metamaterial designs combine low losses with the extremely small group velocity associated with the resonant response in the transmission window, rendering them suitable for slow light applications at room temperature.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a nonlinear optical process may enhance pulse compression and storage, and that information about the nonlinear process itself may be stored coherently, and a pulse storage scheme in hot atomic rubidium vapour, in which a four-wave mixing normal mode is stored using a double configuration.
Abstract: Digital signal processing, holography, and quantum and classical information processing rely heavily upon recording the amplitude and phase of coherent optical signals. One method for achieving coherent information storage makes use of electromagnetically induced transparency. Storage is achieved by compressing the optical pulse using the steep dispersion of the electromagnetically induced transparency medium and then mapping the electric field to local atomic quantum-state superpositions. Here we show that nonlinear optical processes may enhance pulse compression and storage, and that information about the nonlinear process itself may be stored coherently. We report on a pulse storage scheme in hot atomic rubidium vapour, in which a four-wave-mixing normal mode is stored using a double- configuration. The entire (broadened) waveform of the input signal is recovered after several hundred microseconds (1/e time of about 120 s), as well as a new optical mode (idler) generated from the four-wave-mixing process.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: InspInspired by the study of atomic resonances, researchers have developed a new type of metamaterial, which paves the way toward compact delay lines and slow-light devices as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Inspired by the study of atomic resonances, researchers have developed a new type of metamaterial. Their work paves the way toward compact delay lines and slow-light devices

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Using the differential light shift caused by a spatially inhomogeneous far detuned light field, a "phase gradient" is imprinted across the atomic sample, resulting in controlled angular redirection of the retrieved light pulse.
Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate electromagnetically induced transparency and light storage with ultracold Rb-87 atoms in a Mott insulating state in a three-dimensional optical lattice We have observed light storage times of similar or equal to 240 ms, to our knowledge the longest ever achieved in ultracold atomic samples Using the differential light shift caused by a spatially inhomogeneous far detuned light field we imprint a ``phase gradient'' across the atomic sample, resulting in controlled angular redirection of the retrieved light pulse

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors experimentally studied the propagation of two optical fields in a dense rubidium (Rb) gas in the case when an additional microwave field is coupled to the hyperfine levels of Rb atoms.
Abstract: We have experimentally studied the propagation of two optical fields in a dense rubidium (Rb) gas in the case when an additional microwave field is coupled to the hyperfine levels of Rb atoms. The Rb energy levels form a close-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ three-level system coupled to the optical fields and the microwave field. It has been found that the maximum transmission of the probe field depends on the relative phase between the optical and the microwave fields. We have observed both constructive and destructive interferences in electromagnetically induced transparency. A simple theoretical model and a numerical simulation have been developed to explain the observed experimental results.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed an efficient weakly radiative wireless energy transfer scheme between two identical classical resonant objects, strongly coupled to an intermediate resonant object of substantially different properties, but with the same resonance frequency.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors demonstrate laser frequency stabilization to excited state transitions using cascade electromagnetically induced transparency, using a room temperature Rb vapor cell as a reference, and demonstrate a first diode laser to the D2 transition and a second laser to a transition from the intermediate 5P3/2 state to a highly excited state.
Abstract: We demonstrate laser frequency stabilization to excited state transitions using cascade electromagnetically induced transparency. Using a room temperature Rb vapor cell as a reference, we stabilize a first diode laser to the D2 transition and a second laser to a transition from the intermediate 5P3/2 state to a highly excited state with principal quantum number n=19–70. A combined laser linewidth of 280±50 kHz over a 100 μs time period is achieved. This method may be applied generally to any cascade system and allows laser stabilization to an atomic reference in the absence of a direct absorption signal.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The optical analog of the stimulated Raman adiabatic passage via a continuum is experimentally demonstrated for photonic tunneling in femtosecond laser written waveguides and shows that the mechanism of light transfer relies on destructive interference and on the existence of a photonic dark state.
Abstract: The optical analog of the stimulated Raman adiabatic passage via a continuum is experimentally demonstrated for photonic tunneling in femtosecond laser written waveguides The results clearly show that the mechanism of light transfer relies on destructive interference and on the existence of a photonic dark state

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied the coupling between a fiber taper and two whispering gallery modes, which are simultaneously excited in a single pilydimethyl-siloxane-coated silica microtoroid system.
Abstract: We study both experimentally and theoretically the coupling between a fiber taper and two whispering-gallery modes, which are simultaneously excited in a single pilydimethyl-siloxane-coated silica microtoroid system. The transmission spectrum of the fiber-coupled two-mode microresonator shows a sharp electromagnetically induced transparency-like window within the resonant absorption region. This line shape results from destructive interference between two optical pathways associated with two distinct coexisting modes in a single resonator. The sharp transparency peak has great potential applications in light modulation and highly sensitive biochemical sensors.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work shows that the Raman excitations created by counterpropagating probe and coupling fields prohibit the formation of SLPs in media of cold and stationary atoms such as laser-cooled atom clouds, Bose condensates or color-center crystals, and opens a new avenue to SLP studies for few-photon nonlinear interactions.
Abstract: We study the creation of stationary light pulses (SLPs), i.e., light pulses without motion, based on the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency with two counterpropagating coupling fields in cold atoms. We show that the Raman excitations created by counterpropagating probe and coupling fields prohibit the formation of SLPs in media of cold and stationary atoms such as laser-cooled atom clouds, Bose condensates or color-center crystals. A method is experimentally demonstrated to suppress these Raman excitations and SLPs are realized in laser-cooled atoms. Furthermore, we report the first experimental observation of a bichromatic SLP at wavelengths for which no Bragg grating can be established. Our work advances the understanding of SLPs and opens a new avenue to SLP studies for few-photon nonlinear interactions.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the four-level inverted-Y configuration realizable in an asymmetric quantum well system interacting with four fields is studied to demonstrate the phenomenon of phase-dependent electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in this system.
Abstract: The four-level inverted-Y configuration realizable in an asymmetric quantum well system interacting with four fields is studied to demonstrate the phenomenon of phase-dependent electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in this system. The system is studied under various parametric conditions to demonstrate the controllability of EIT, dispersion properties, and group velocity.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, it was shown that the paraxial diffraction can be eliminated by using atomic diffusion to influence the spreading of the image, regardless of its position and shape.
Abstract: Electromagnetically induced transparency in an atomic gas can slow the propagation of images. It is now shown that the diffraction of such images as they propagate can be controlled and even eliminated. This is achieved by using atomic diffusion to influence the spreading of the image. Any image, imprinted on a wave field and propagating in free space, undergoes a paraxial diffraction spreading. The reduction or manipulation of diffraction is desirable for many applications, such as imaging, wave-guiding, microlithography and optical data processing. As was recently demonstrated, arbitrary images imprinted on light pulses are dramatically slowed1,2 when traversing an atomic medium of electromagnetically induced transparency3,4 and undergo diffusion due to the thermal atomic motion5,6. Here we experimentally demonstrate a new technique to eliminate the paraxial diffraction and the diffusion of slow light, regardless of its position and shape7. Unlike former suggestions for diffraction manipulation8,9,10,11,12, our scheme is linear and operates in the wavevector space, eliminating the diffraction for arbitrary images throughout their propagation. By tuning the interaction, we further demonstrate acceleration of diffraction, biased diffraction and induced deflection, and reverse diffraction, implementing a negative-diffraction lens13. Alongside recent advances in slow-light amplification14 and image entanglement15, diffraction control opens various possibilities for classical and quantum image manipulation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: By adjusting the intensity of the infrared laser, one can control the transparency window width and optical Stark shift associated with the application of an infrared laser to control heat dissipation in a metallic nanoparticle when it is in the vicinity of a semiconductor quantum dot.
Abstract: We study the application of an infrared laser to control heat dissipation in a metallic nanoparticle when it is in the vicinity of a semiconductor quantum dot. The infrared laser is considered to be near-resonant with two of the conduction states of the quantum dot, coherently mixing them together. Via exciton-plasmon coupling, this process normalizes the internal field of the metallic nanoparticle, forming a plasmonic (thermal) electromagnetically induced transparency. When this process happens the metallic nanoparticle becomes nearly completely non-dissipative around its plasmon frequency, while it remains strongly dissipative at other frequencies. We show that, by adjusting the intensity of the infrared laser, one can control the transparency window width and optical Stark shift associated with such a process.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Complete characterization of an optical memory based on electromagnetically induced transparency is reported and the acquired superoperator is employed to verify the nonclassicality benchmark for the storage of a Gaussian distributed set of coherent states.
Abstract: We report complete characterization of an optical memory based on electromagnetically induced transparency. We recover the superoperator associated with the memory, under two different working conditions, by means of a quantum process tomography technique that involves storage of coherent states and their characterization upon retrieval. In this way, we can predict the quantum state retrieved from the memory for any input, for example, the squeezed vacuum or the Fock state. We employ the acquired superoperator to verify the nonclassicality benchmark for the storage of a Gaussian distributed set of coherent states.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, two classes of hollow-core photonic crystal fibres are identified: one guides via a photonic bandgap and the other guides by virtue of an inhibited coupling between core and cladding mode constituents.
Abstract: We review the recent progress on the understanding of optical guidance mechanisms in hollow-core photonic crystal fibres, and on the quantum and nonlinear optical applications of photonic microcells based on this fibre form. Two classes of hollow-core photonic crystal fibre are identified: one guides via a photonic bandgap and the other guides by virtue of an inhibited coupling between core and cladding mode constituents. For the former fibre type, we explore how the bandgap is formed using a photonic analogue of the tight-binding model and how it is related to the anti-resonant reflection optical waveguide guidance. For the second type of fibre, which can guide over a broad wavelength range, we examine the nature of the inhibited coupling. We describe a technique for the fabrication of photonic microcells that can accommodate vacuum pressures, and we finish by showing the latest results on electromagnetically induced transparency in a rubidium filled hollow-core photonic crystal fibre, the CW-pumped hydrogen Raman laser and the generation of multi-octave spanning stimulated Raman scattering spectral combs.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is proposed that quantum cascade lasers are the ideal tool to create this modelocking, due to their rapid recovery times and relatively long coherence times and because it is possible to interleave gain and absorbing layers.
Abstract: The possibility of using the self-induced transparency effect to passively modelock lasers has been discussed since the late 1960s, but has never been observed. It is proposed that quantum cascade lasers are the ideal tool to create this modelocking, due to their rapid recovery times and relatively long coherence times and because it is possible to interleave gain and absorbing layers. Conversely, it is possible to use the self-induced transparency effect to create midinfrared pulses that are less than 100 fs in duration in a semiconductor laser.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Sommerfeld-Brillouin optical precursors generated from a long square-modulated laser pulse propagating through a cold atomic ensemble with electromagnetically induced transparency are observed.
Abstract: We report the observation of Sommerfeld-Brillouin optical precursors generated from a long square-modulated laser pulse propagating through a cold atomic ensemble with electromagnetically induced transparency. The optical depth (alpha(0)L) of the medium can be varied from 0 up to 50. We demonstrated that the step-on rising and step-off falling edges propagate with the speed of light in vacuum without a slow light effect. At high alpha(0)L, the precursor is separated from the delayed main pulse at the rising edge, while at the falling edge, we observe damped oscillatory structures resulting from the interference between the precursor and main field.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of a control beam on a Λ electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) system in 87Rb was studied and it was shown that the control beam can be used to Stark shift or split the EIT resonance when atoms with a range of velocities are present.
Abstract: We study the effect of a control beam on a Λ electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) system in 87Rb. The control beam couples one ground state to another excited state forming a four-level -system. Phase coherent laser beams to drive the -system are produced using a double injection locking scheme. We show that the control beam can be used to Stark shift or split the EIT resonance. Finally, we show that, when the control beam is on resonance, one observes a Doppler-free and sub-natural absorptive resonance with a width of order 100 kHz. Crucially, this narrow absorptive resonance only occurs when atoms with a range of velocities are present, as is the case in a room-temperature vapour.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the dephasing rates of a resonantly driven pseudo spin emersed in a reservoir of pseudo spins were investigated in a dense frozen Rydberg gas, either confined in a magnetic trap or in an optical dipole trap.
Abstract: We experimentally and theoretically investigate the dephasing rates of the coherent evolution of a resonantly driven pseudo spin emersed in a reservoir of pseudo spins. The pseudo spin is realized by optically exciting 87Rb atoms into a Rydberg state. Hence, the upper spin states are coupled via the strong van der Waals interaction. Two different experimental techniques to measure the dephasing rates are shown: the 'rotary echo' technique, known from nuclear magnetic resonance physics, and electromagnetically induced transparency. The experiments are performed in a dense frozen Rydberg gas, either confined in a magnetic trap or in an optical dipole trap. Additionally, a numerical simulation is used to analyse the dephasing in the rotary echo experiments.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The potential of EIT-induced slow light in GaAs/AlGaAs MQWs for ultrafast (approximately 210 GHz) all-optical information processing such as photon routing is discussed.
Abstract: Electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) is observed and analyzed for the group velocity of a femtosecond light pulse interacting with GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells (MQWs) in a transient regime. The calculated slowdown factor of the group velocity inside the medium due to the dynamic refractive index change is approximately 2.10 x 10(3). We discuss the potential of EIT-induced slow light in GaAs/AlGaAs MQWs for ultrafast (approximately 210 GHz) all-optical information processing such as photon routing.