Deflection of Slow Light by Magneto-Optically Controlled Atomic Media

Abstract

We present a semi-classical theory for light deflection by a coherent $\Lambda$-type three-level atomic medium in an inhomogeneous magnetic field or an inhomogeneous control laser. When the atomic energy levels (or the Rabi coupling by the control laser) are position-dependent due to the Zeeman effect by the inhomogeneous magnetic field (or the inhomogeneity of the control field profile), the spatial dependence of the refraction index of the atomic medium will result in an observable deflection of slow signal light when the electromagnetically induced transparency happens to avoid medium absorption. Our theoretical approach based on Fermat's principle in geometrical optics not only provides a consistent explanation for the most recent experiment in a straightforward way, but also predicts the new effects for the slow signal light deflection by the atomic media in an inhomogeneous off-resonant control laser field.

4 pages, 3 figures

References in corpus (1)

• A Stern-Gerlach experiment for slow light

Cited by in corpus (13)

• Multi-Atomic Mirror for Perfect Reflection of Single Photons in A Wide Band of Frequency
• Magneto-Optical Stern-Gerlach Effect in Atomic Ensemble
• Weak-Value Amplification of light deflection by a dark atomic ensemble
• Stern-Gerlach Effect of Weak-Light Ultraslow Vector Solitons
• Enantio-discrimination via light deflection effect
• All-optical steering of light via spatial Bloch oscillations in a gas of three-level atoms
• Steering, Splitting and Cloning of Optical Beam in a Coherently Driven Raman Gain System
• Lensing effect of electromagnetically induced transparency involving a Rydberg state
• Quantum theory for spatial motion of polaritons in inhomogeneous fields
• Birefringence lens effects of atom ensemble enhanced by electromagnetically induced transparency
• Trapping of Weak Signal Pulses by Soliton and Trajectory Control in a Coherent Atomic Gas
• Light deflection by light: Effect of incidence angle and inhomogeneity
• Ultraslow Helical Optical Bullets and Their Acceleration in Magneto-Optically Controlled Coherent Atomic Media