Abstract

We report results of a study on pulse-pair propagation through a coherently prepared medium (Phaseonium). The model consists of a Λ system, where the excited state |1〉 can decay at the rate 2y out of the system. Previous works have shown that if the excited state amplitude is able to follow adiabatically the evolution of the lower lying states |2⟩ and |3⟩, matched pulses will be produced, provided the atoms are in a coherent population trapping state.¹ The question then arises, Is the adiabatic elimination of the excited state amplitude, from atom and field dynamics, necessary for the production of matched pulses? It is also important to determine if the matching of pulses depends on the intensities of the input pulses. Increasing intensities would imply a reduction in the Rabi flopping time, which would then compete with the time scale associated with the decay of population by spontaneous emission.

© 1996 Optical Society of America