Abstract

Phenomena based on 3-level quantum coherences have been of considerable importance in optical atomic and molecular physics in recent years. Ranging from rather well investigated effects, such as electromagnetically-induced transparency (E1T) and lasing without inversion,^1,2 to currently developing applications of ultraslow light,³ these phenomena depend crucially on the existence of non-radiative quantum coherences in multi-level (particularly 3-level) atomic systems. An essential feature common for these effects is that the response of the system to the probe laser field (linear susceptibility) can be modified by the pump laser field via an induced quantum coherence.

© 2002 Optical Society of America