Pulse pair generation from coherently prepared atomic ensembles
arXiv:1008.0610 · doi:10.1140/epjd/e2010-00200-y
Abstract
We report a detailed investigation on the generation of pulse pairs during the readout of a coherence grating stored in a cold atomic ensemble. The pulse shapes and the split of the retrieved energy between the two pulses are studied as a function of the relative intensities of the two reading fields, and a minimum is observed for the total retrieved energy. We introduce a simplified analytical theory for the process, considering a three-level atomic system, which explains all the most striking experimental features.
9 pages, 6 figures