Nonvolatile optical memory via recoil-induced resonance in a pure two-level system

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel optical memory in cold cesium atoms using recoil-induced resonance, enabling light storage with high insensitivity to readout and a lifetime limited by atomic motion.

Contribution

It introduces a recoil-induced resonance-based optical memory in a pure two-level system, showing unique insensitivity to reading and potential for long storage times.

Findings

Achieved light storage using recoil-induced resonance in cold cesium atoms.

Observed narrow subnatural resonance features with absorption and gain.

Memory lifetime limited only by atomic thermal motion.

Abstract

We report on the storage of light via the phenomenon of recoil-induced resonance in a pure two- level system of cold cesium atoms. We use a strong coupling beam and a weak probe beam to couple different external momentum states of the cesium atom via two-photon Raman interaction which leads to the storage of the optical information of the probe beam. We have also measured the probe transmission spectrum, as well as the light storage spectrum which reveals very narrow subnatural resonance features showing absorption and gain. We have demonstrated that this memory presents the unique property of being insensitive to the reading process, which does not destroy the stored information leading to a memory lifetime limited only by the atomic thermal motion.