Abstract

We demonstrate both theoretically and numerically that slow light can enhance the stimulated emission of four-level atomic systems in photonic crystals. By applying the Bloch–Floquet formalism and the semiclassical physical model of harmonic oscillators coupled to electromagnetic fields, we develop a formalism that relates the group velocity of slow light to the conversion rate between the electric field and atomic potential energy. From our numerical study of the stimulated emission in fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and nongrating fiber, a ninefold enhancement of stimulated emission is observed in a FBG over the nongrating fiber when pumping at the band edge, while a 20-fold enhancement of is observed when the frequency of the stimulated emission approaches the band edge.

© 2010 Optical Society of America

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