Nonlinear Magneto-optics and Reduced Group Velocity of Light in Atomic Vapor with Slow Ground State Relaxation

D. Budker; D. F. Kimball; S. M. Rochester; V. V. Yashchuk

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.1767

Nonlinear Magneto-optics and Reduced Group Velocity of Light in Atomic Vapor with Slow Ground State Relaxation

D. Budker, D. F. Kimball, S. M. Rochester, and V. V. Yashchuk

Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1767 – Published 30 August 1999

Abstract

The dynamics of resonant light propagation in rubidium vapor in a cell with antirelaxation wall coating are investigated. We change the polarization of the input light and measure the time dependence of the polarization after the cell. The observed dynamics are shown to be analogous to those in electromagnetically induced transparency. Spectral dependence of light pulse delays is found to be similar to that of nonlinear magneto-optic rotation. Delays up to $\approx 13 ms$ are observed, corresponding to a $8 m / s$ group velocity. Fields of a few microgauss are used to control the group velocity.

Received 19 May 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.1767

Authors & Affiliations

D. Budker^1,2,*, D. F. Kimball¹, S. M. Rochester¹, and V. V. Yashchuk^1,3

¹Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-7300
²Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
³B. P. Konstantinov Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, Russia 188350