Pulse pair generation from coherently prepared atomic ensembles

TL;DR

This paper investigates how pulse pairs are generated during the readout of a stored coherence in cold atomic ensembles, analyzing pulse shapes, energy distribution, and providing a simplified theoretical model.

Contribution

It introduces a simplified three-level atomic model that explains experimental observations of pulse pair generation and energy splitting.

Findings

Minimum total retrieved energy observed at specific intensity ratios.

Pulse shapes and energy split depend on the relative intensities of reading fields.

Theoretical model accurately explains experimental features.

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.