Observation of absorptive photon switching by quantum interference

By M. Yan, E. Rickey, Yifu Zhu. 2001

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We report an experimental demonstration of photon switching by quantum interference in a four-level atomic system proposed by Harris and Yamamoto [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 3611 (1998)]. Quantum interference inhibits single-photon absorption but enhances third-order, two-photon-type absorption in the four-level system. We have observed greatly enhanced nonlinear absorption in the four-level system realized with cold ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms and demonstrated fast switching of the nonlinear absorption with a pulsed pump laser.

Subfields: Artificial Intelligence, Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/151f4615c925a5577ce4d8e79f7627e5224e3070