F. Beil, J. Klein, and T. Halfmann
Photonics and Nanostructures, in press
 
Abstract : We report on the experimental implementation of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP), electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and the retrieval of light pulses in a Pr.YSO crystal.
We apply coherent, adiabatic processes to control population dynamics and atomic coherences in selected hyperfine levels of the praseodymium dopants in the crystal. Our data demonstrate efficient adiabatic population transfer by conventional STIRAP as well as by an alternative transfer process, i.e. b-STIRAP. Moreover, we investigate dark resonances, driven by EIT in a L-type and in a V-type level scheme.We apply EIT to create atomic coherences in Pr:YSO. The persistent coherence is monitored by delayed retrieval of light pulses from the medium.

Figure Caption : Light pulses, retrieved from Pr:YSO after optical preparation by EIT (for different time delays of the retrieval with regard to the storage ­ indicated by different colours of the retrieved pulse)