Slow light with integrated gain and large pulse delay

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a method for achieving slow and stored light in rubidium vapor with minimal loss and distortion, large fractional delay, and controllable group index and gain, enabling high-performance slow light applications.

Contribution

It introduces a technique combining controllable group index and integrated gain in Rb vapor to achieve high fractional delay with minimal pulse distortion.

Findings

Achieved fractional delay greater than 10 in Rb vapor.

Demonstrated controllable group index during pulse propagation.

Implemented integrated gain to compensate for pulse loss.

Abstract

We demonstrate slow and stored light in Rb vapor with a combination of desirable features: minimal loss and distortion of the pulse shape, and large fractional delay (> 10). This behavior is enabled by: (i) a group index that can be controllably varied during light pulse propagation; and (ii) controllable gain integrated into the medium to compensate for pulse loss. Any medium with the above two characteristics should be able to realize similarly high-performance slow light.