Abstract

Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT), slow light and manipulation of the susceptibility in momentum space have recently been employed to eliminate diffraction during propagation of images in atomic gases [1]. By selecting a two-photon detuning in a Lambda energy-level configuration to be equal to the homogenous EIT linewidth, the induced diffraction compensates the paraxial one and even atomic diffusion [1]. Manipulation and elimination of diffraction is desirable for many applications, such as imaging, microscopy, wave-guiding, microlithography and optical data processing. Here we employ an alternative control of diffraction based on the generation of slow-light dissipative solitons for a three-level medium in a cavity pumped by two quasi-resonant fields. Complex self-organised structures and spatial localization of light due to the interaction of diffraction and nonlinearity in optical cavities have important applications in optics and photonics, ranging from digital optical memories to delay lines [2]. Note that conservative Raman solitons with slow-light have been observed in free propagation in a planar CS2 waveguide by using the localization of a pump field [3].

© 2011 IEEE