Enhanced nonreciprocal transmission through a saturable cubic-quintic nonlinear dimer defect.

The transmission properties through a saturable cubic-quintic nonlinear defect attached to lateral linear chains is investigated. Particular attention is directed to the possible non-reciprocal diode-like transmission when the parity-symmetry of the defect is broken. Distinct cases of parity breaking are considered including asymmetric linear and nonlinear responses. The spectrum of the transmission coefficient is analytically computed and the influence of the degree of saturation analyzed in detail. The transmission of Gaussian wave-packets is also numerically investigated. Our results unveil that spectral regions with high transmission and enhanced diode-like operation can be achieved.

Coherent dynamics of self-induced ultraslow light for all-optical switching.

Coherent dynamics of slow light for all-optical switching is investigated in a multilevel system of solids for an understanding of self-induced ultraslow light. In an optical population shelving system of a rare-earth doped solid, dynamics of the slow light are presented by using a third optical field controlling shelved atom population. Unlike two-photon coherence-based delayed all-optical switching utilizing electromagnetically induced transparency, the present method relies on one-photon coherence controlling shelved atom population.

Observations of self-induced ultraslow light in a persistent spectral hole burning medium.

We present observations of self induced ultraslow light in a persistent spectral hole-burning rare-earth doped crystal. The observed group delay (velocity) is as long as 40 micros (75 m/s), which is comparable to that obtained using electromagnetically induced transparency or coherent population oscillations. We analyze the observed ultraslow light as a function of frequency detuning, light intensity, and atom population (oscillator strength). The present observation of ultraslow light in a persistent spectral hole-burning medium gives potentials to all-optical information processing such as on-demand all-optical buffer memories.

Observation of ultraslow and stored light pulses in a solid.

We report ultraslow group velocities of light in an optically dense crystal of Pr doped Y2SiO5. Light speeds as slow as 45 m/s were observed, corresponding to a group delay of 66 micros. Deceleration and "stopping" or trapping of the light pulse was also observed. These reductions of the group velocity are accomplished by using a sharp spectral feature in absorption and dispersion that is produced by resonance Raman excitation of a ground-state spin coherence.

Enhancement of four-wave mixing and line narrowing by use of quantum coherence in an optically dense double-? solid.

We have demonstrated enhanced nondegenerate four-wave mixing by use of a resonant probe in a double- ? system consisting of an optically dense spectral hole-burning solid. The observed probe diffraction efficiency is ~16% in amplitude at 6 K, which is higher than for an off-resonant probe in a ? -type scheme. We have also observed two-photon coherence line narrowing, which has potential application to high-resolution spectroscopy.

Enhanced nondegenerate four-wave mixing owing to electromagnetically induced transparency in a spectral hole-burning crystal.

We have demonstrated electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in an inhomogeneously broadened spectral hole-burning system of Pr(3+)-doped Y(2)SiO(5) at 6 K. We have also shown enhancement of four-wave mixing under conditions of reduced absorption. This demonstration opens the possibilities of pursuing EIT applications such as high-resolution optical image processing and optical data storage in solids.

Frequency-selective time-domain optical data storage by electromagnetically induced transparency in a rare-earth-doped solid.

We report the experimental observation of optical data storage by frequency-selective stimulated spin echoes based on electromagnetically induced transparency in an inhomogeneously broadened rare-earth-doped solid. We find that the spin dephasing time T(2) is almost constant in the range 2-6 K, whereas the optical T(2) shortens rapidly above 4 K. This experiment demonstrates the potential of spin echoes excited by electromagnetically induced transparency for higher-capacity optical data storage at higher temperature.

Photon-echo amplification by an external-cavity amplifier.

We demonstrate as much as 2.5 × 10(5) amplification of a photon-echo signal using a simple external-cavity amplifier. The method may be useful in regeneration of photon echo and memory refresh in a dynamic photon-echo optical memory system. We propose an image storage system that is capable of regeneration and amplification of phase-conjugate images in a feedback loop.