2022 Impact factor 1.8
Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Plasma Physics
Eur. Phys. J. D 56, 105-112 (2010)
DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2009-00274-6

Transient dispersion and absorption in a V-shaped atomic system

M. Sahrai1, A. Maleki1, R. Hemmati1 and M. Mahmoudi2

1  Research Institute for Applied Physics and Astronomy, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
2  Department of Physics, Zanjan University, P.O.Box 45195-313, Zanjan, Iran

sahrai@tabrizu.ac.ir

Received 16 June 2009 / Received in final form 14 September 2009 / Published online 6 November 2009

Abstract
We investigate the dynamical behavior of the dispersion and the absorption in a V-type three level atomic system. It is shown that in the presence of decay-induced interference the probe dispersion and absorption are phase dependent. We find that an incoherent pumping field provides an additional control parameter for switching the group velocity of a light pulse. The required switching times for switching the group velocity of a probe field from subluminal to superluminal pulse propagation is then discussed.

PACS
42.50.Hz - Strong-field excitation of optical transitions in quantum systems; multiphoton processes; dynamic Stark shift.
42.50.Nn - Quantum optical phenomena in absorbing, amplifying, dispersive and conducting media; cooperative phenomena in quantum optical systems .
42.50.Md - Optical transient phenomena: quantum beats, photon echo, free-induction decay, dephasings and revivals, optical nutation, and self-induced transparency.
42.50.Gy - Effects of atomic coherence on propagation, absorption, and amplification of light; electromagnetically induced transparency and absorption.

© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2009