Alexander M Akulshin and Russell J McLean 2010 J. Opt. 12 104001 doi:10.1088/2040-8978/12/10/104001
Alexander M Akulshin1 and Russell J McLean
Show affiliationsAtomic media have played a major role in studies of fast light. One of their attractive features is the ability to manipulate experimental parameters to control the dispersive properties that determine the group velocity of a propagating light pulse. We give an overview of the experimental methods, based on both linear and nonlinear atom–light interaction, that have produced superluminal propagation in atomic media, and discuss some of the significant theoretical contributions to the issues of pulse preservation and reconciling faster-than-light propagation and the principle of causality. The comparison of storage of light, enhanced Kerr nonlinearity and efficient wave mixing processes in slow and fast light atomic media illustrates their common and distinct features.
03.75.Be Atom and neutron optics
42.65.Hw Phase conjugation; photorefractive and Kerr effects
Issue 10 (October 2010)
Received 1 April 2010, accepted for publication 21 May 2010
Published 24 September 2010
Alexander M Akulshin and Russell J McLean 2010 J. Opt. 12 104001
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