Birefringence lens effects of atom ensemble enhanced by electromagnetically induced transparency

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how an atomic ensemble with electromagnetically induced transparency can act as a birefringent lens, controlling polarized light splitting and focusing based on quantum superposition states.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to manipulate birefringence and lens effects using atom ensembles with spatially inhomogeneous laser fields under EIT conditions.

Findings

Atomic ensemble splits polarized light into orthogonal components.

The ensemble functions as a birefringent lens with controllable focusing.

Polarization-dependent focusing with finite aberration achieved.

Abstract

We study the optic control for birefringence of a polarized light by an atomic ensemble with a tripod configuration, which is mediated by the electromagnetically induced transparency with a spatially inhomogeneous laser. The atom ensemble splits the linearly polarized light ray into two orthogonally-polarized components, whose polarizations depend on quantum superposition of the initial states of the atom ensemble. Accompanied with this splitting, the atom ensemble behaves as a birefringent lens, which allows one polarized light ray passing through straightly while focus another orthogonal to this polarization with finite aberration of focus.