Demonstration of images with negative group velocities

doi:10.1364/OE.20.013702

Demonstration of images with negative group velocities

Ryan T. Glasser, Ulrich Vogl, and Paul D. Lett »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 20, Issue 13, pp. 13702-13710 (2012)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.20.013702

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Abstract

We report the experimental demonstration of the superluminal propagation of multi-spatial-mode images via four-wave mixing in hot atomic vapor, in which all spatial sub-regions propagate with negative group velocities. We investigate the spatial mode properties and temporal reshaping of the fast light images, and show large relative pulse peak advancements of up to 64 % of the input pulse width. The degree of temporal reshaping is quantified and increases as the relative pulse peak advancement increases. When optimized for image quality or pulse advancement, negative group velocities of up to $v_{g} = - \frac{c}{880}$ and $v_{g} = - \frac{c}{2180}$ , respectively, are demonstrated when integrating temporally over the entire image. The present results are applicable to temporal cloaking devices that require strong manipulation of the dispersion relation, where one can envision temporally cloaking various spatial regions of an image for different durations. Additionally, the modes involved in a four-wave mixing process similar to the present experiment have been shown to exhibit quantum correlations and entanglement. The results presented here provide insight into how to tailor experimental tests of the behavior of these quantum correlations and entanglement in the superluminal regime.

OCIS Codes
(190.0190) Nonlinear optics : Nonlinear optics
(190.4350) Nonlinear optics : Nonlinear optics at surfaces
(190.4380) Nonlinear optics : Nonlinear optics, four-wave mixing
(190.5530) Nonlinear optics : Pulse propagation and temporal solitons
(350.5500) Other areas of optics : Propagation

ToC Category:
Nonlinear Optics

History
Original Manuscript: April 12, 2012
Revised Manuscript: May 25, 2012
Manuscript Accepted: May 26, 2012
Published: June 4, 2012

Citation
Ryan T. Glasser, Ulrich Vogl, and Paul D. Lett, "Demonstration of images with negative group velocities," Opt. Express 20, 13702-13710 (2012)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-20-13-13702

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References

C. Garrett and D. McCumber, “Propagation of a Gaussian light pulse through an anomalous dispersion medium,” Phys. Rev. A1, 305–313 (1970). [CrossRef]
S. Chu and S. Wong, “Linear pulse propagation in an absorbing medium,” Phys. Rev. Lett.48, 738–741 (1982). [CrossRef]
B. Ségard and B. Macke, “Observation of negative velocity pulse propagation,” Phys. Lett.109, 213–216 (1985). [CrossRef]
B. Ségard, B. Macke, and F. Wielonsky, “Optimal superluminal systems,” Phys. Rev. E72, 035601 (2005). [CrossRef]
R. Y. Chiao and P. W. Milonni, “Fast light, slow light,” Opt. Photon. News13, 26–30 (2002). [CrossRef]
A. M. Akulshin and R. J. McLean, “Fast light in atomic media,” J. Opt.12, 104001 (2010). [CrossRef]
E. L. Bolda, J. C. Garrison, and R. Y. Chiao, “Optical pulse propagation at negative group velocities due to a nearby gain line,” Phys. Rev. A49, 2938–2947 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. S. Bigelow, N. N. Lepeshkin, and R. W. Boyd, “Superluminal and slow light propagation in a room-temperature solid,” Science301, 200–202 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
E. E. Mikhailov, V. A. Sautenkov, I. Novikova, and G. R. Welch, “Large negative and positive delay of optical pulses in coherently prepared dense Rb vapor with buffer gas,” Phys. Rev. A69, 063808 (2004). [CrossRef]
N. Brunner, V. Scarani, V. Wegmüller, M. Legré, and N. Gisin, “Direct measurement of superluminal group velocity and signal velocity in an optical fiber,” Phys. Rev. Lett.93, 203902 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. Gonzalez-Herraez, K.-Y. Song, and L. Thevenaz, “Optically controlled slow and fast light in optical fibers using stimulated brillouin scattering,” Appl. Phys. Lett.87, 081113 (2005). [CrossRef]
A. M. Steinberg and R. Y. Chiao, “Dispersionless, highly superluminal propagation in a medium with a gain doublet,” Phys. Rev. A49, 2071–2075 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
L. J. Wang, A. Kuzmich, and A. Dogariu, “Gain-assisted superluminal light propagation,” Nature (London)406, 277–279 (2000). [CrossRef]
R. T. Glasser, U. Vogl, and P. D. Lett, “Stimulated generation of superluminal light pulses via four-wave mixing,” Phys. Rev. Lett.108, 173902 (2012). [CrossRef]
R. W. Boyd and D. J. Gauthier, “Slow and fast light,” Prog. Opt.43, 178–180 (2002).
R. M. Camacho, C. J. Broadbent, I. Ali-Khan, and J. C. Howell, “All-optical delay of images using slow light,” Phys. Rev. Lett.98, 043902 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
V. Boyer, A. M. Marino, R. C. Pooser, and P. D. Lett, “Entangled images from four-wave mixing,” Science321, 544–547 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. Fridman, A. Farsi, Y. Okawachi, and A. L. Gaeta, “Demonstration of temporal cloaking,” Nature (London)481, 62 (2012). [CrossRef]
J. P. Torres, M. Hendrych, and A. Valencia, “Angular dispersion: an enabling tool in nonlinear and quantum optics,” Adv. Opt. Photon.2, 319–369 (2010). [CrossRef]
P. Kumar and M. I. Kolobov, “Degenerate four-wave mixing as a source for spatially-broadband squeezed light,” Opt. Commun.104, 374–378 (1994). [CrossRef]
M. S. Bigelow, N. N. Lepeshkin, H. Shin, and R. W. Boyd, “Propagation of smooth and discontinuous pulses through materials with very large or very small group velocities,” J. Phys. Condens. Matter18, 3117 (2006). [CrossRef]
B. Macke and B. Ségard, “Propagation of light-pulses at a negative group-velocity,” Eur. Phys. J. D23, 125–141 (2003). [CrossRef]
R. W. Boyd, D. Gauthier, and P. Narum, “Causality in superluminal pulse propagation” in Time in Quantum Mechanics2, G. Muga, A. Ruschhaupt, and A. del Campo, eds. (Springer, 2009), pp. 175–202. [CrossRef]
C. F. McCormick, V. Boyer, E. Arimondo, and P. D. Lett, “Strong relative intensity squeezing by four-wave mixing in rubidium vapor,” Opt. Lett.32, 178 (2007). [CrossRef]
V. Boyer, A. M. Marino, and P. D. Lett, “Generation of spatially broadband twin beams for quantum imaging,” Phys. Rev. Lett.100, 143601 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
V. Boyer, C. F. McCormick, E. Arimondo, and P. D. Lett, “Ultraslow propagation of matched pulses by four-wave mixing in an atomic vapor,” Phys. Rev. Lett.99, 143601 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Akulshin, A. M.
Ali-Khan, I.
Arimondo, E.
Bigelow, M. S.
Bolda, E. L.
Boyd, R. W.
Boyer, V.
Broadbent, C. J.
Brunner, N.
Camacho, R. M.
Chiao, R. Y.
Chu, S.
Dogariu, A.
Farsi, A.
Fridman, M.
Gaeta, A. L.
Garrett, C.
Garrison, J. C.
Gauthier, D.
Gauthier, D. J.
Gisin, N.
Glasser, R. T.
Gonzalez-Herraez, M.
Hendrych, M.
Howell, J. C.
Kolobov, M. I.
Kumar, P.
Kuzmich, A.
Legré, M.
Lepeshkin, N. N.
Lett, P. D.
Macke, B.
Marino, A. M.
McCormick, C. F.
McCumber, D.
McLean, R. J.
Mikhailov, E. E.
Milonni, P. W.
Narum, P.
Novikova, I.
Okawachi, Y.
Pooser, R. C.
Sautenkov, V. A.
Scarani, V.
Ségard, B.
Shin, H.
Song, K.-Y.
Steinberg, A. M.
Thevenaz, L.
Torres, J. P.
Valencia, A.
Vogl, U.
Wang, L. J.
Wegmüller, V.
Welch, G. R.
Wielonsky, F.
Wong, S.

Adv. Opt. Photon.

J. P. Torres, M. Hendrych, and A. Valencia, “Angular dispersion: an enabling tool in nonlinear and quantum optics,” Adv. Opt. Photon.2, 319–369 (2010). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

M. Gonzalez-Herraez, K.-Y. Song, and L. Thevenaz, “Optically controlled slow and fast light in optical fibers using stimulated brillouin scattering,” Appl. Phys. Lett.87, 081113 (2005). [CrossRef]

Eur. Phys. J. D

B. Macke and B. Ségard, “Propagation of light-pulses at a negative group-velocity,” Eur. Phys. J. D23, 125–141 (2003). [CrossRef]

J. Opt.

A. M. Akulshin and R. J. McLean, “Fast light in atomic media,” J. Opt.12, 104001 (2010). [CrossRef]

J. Phys. Condens. Matter

M. S. Bigelow, N. N. Lepeshkin, H. Shin, and R. W. Boyd, “Propagation of smooth and discontinuous pulses through materials with very large or very small group velocities,” J. Phys. Condens. Matter18, 3117 (2006). [CrossRef]

Nature (London)

L. J. Wang, A. Kuzmich, and A. Dogariu, “Gain-assisted superluminal light propagation,” Nature (London)406, 277–279 (2000). [CrossRef]
M. Fridman, A. Farsi, Y. Okawachi, and A. L. Gaeta, “Demonstration of temporal cloaking,” Nature (London)481, 62 (2012). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

P. Kumar and M. I. Kolobov, “Degenerate four-wave mixing as a source for spatially-broadband squeezed light,” Opt. Commun.104, 374–378 (1994). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

C. F. McCormick, V. Boyer, E. Arimondo, and P. D. Lett, “Strong relative intensity squeezing by four-wave mixing in rubidium vapor,” Opt. Lett.32, 178 (2007). [CrossRef]

Opt. Photon. News

R. Y. Chiao and P. W. Milonni, “Fast light, slow light,” Opt. Photon. News13, 26–30 (2002). [CrossRef]

Phys. Lett.

B. Ségard and B. Macke, “Observation of negative velocity pulse propagation,” Phys. Lett.109, 213–216 (1985). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. A

C. Garrett and D. McCumber, “Propagation of a Gaussian light pulse through an anomalous dispersion medium,” Phys. Rev. A1, 305–313 (1970). [CrossRef]
E. L. Bolda, J. C. Garrison, and R. Y. Chiao, “Optical pulse propagation at negative group velocities due to a nearby gain line,” Phys. Rev. A49, 2938–2947 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
E. E. Mikhailov, V. A. Sautenkov, I. Novikova, and G. R. Welch, “Large negative and positive delay of optical pulses in coherently prepared dense Rb vapor with buffer gas,” Phys. Rev. A69, 063808 (2004). [CrossRef]
A. M. Steinberg and R. Y. Chiao, “Dispersionless, highly superluminal propagation in a medium with a gain doublet,” Phys. Rev. A49, 2071–2075 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. E

B. Ségard, B. Macke, and F. Wielonsky, “Optimal superluminal systems,” Phys. Rev. E72, 035601 (2005). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

S. Chu and S. Wong, “Linear pulse propagation in an absorbing medium,” Phys. Rev. Lett.48, 738–741 (1982). [CrossRef]
N. Brunner, V. Scarani, V. Wegmüller, M. Legré, and N. Gisin, “Direct measurement of superluminal group velocity and signal velocity in an optical fiber,” Phys. Rev. Lett.93, 203902 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
R. T. Glasser, U. Vogl, and P. D. Lett, “Stimulated generation of superluminal light pulses via four-wave mixing,” Phys. Rev. Lett.108, 173902 (2012). [CrossRef]
R. M. Camacho, C. J. Broadbent, I. Ali-Khan, and J. C. Howell, “All-optical delay of images using slow light,” Phys. Rev. Lett.98, 043902 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
V. Boyer, A. M. Marino, and P. D. Lett, “Generation of spatially broadband twin beams for quantum imaging,” Phys. Rev. Lett.100, 143601 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
V. Boyer, C. F. McCormick, E. Arimondo, and P. D. Lett, “Ultraslow propagation of matched pulses by four-wave mixing in an atomic vapor,” Phys. Rev. Lett.99, 143601 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Prog. Opt.

R. W. Boyd and D. J. Gauthier, “Slow and fast light,” Prog. Opt.43, 178–180 (2002).

Science

V. Boyer, A. M. Marino, R. C. Pooser, and P. D. Lett, “Entangled images from four-wave mixing,” Science321, 544–547 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. S. Bigelow, N. N. Lepeshkin, and R. W. Boyd, “Superluminal and slow light propagation in a room-temperature solid,” Science301, 200–202 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

R. W. Boyd, D. Gauthier, and P. Narum, “Causality in superluminal pulse propagation” in Time in Quantum Mechanics2, G. Muga, A. Ruschhaupt, and A. del Campo, eds. (Springer, 2009), pp. 175–202. [CrossRef]

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[1] C. Garrett and D. McCumber, “Propagation of a Gaussian light pulse through an anomalous dispersion medium,” Phys. Rev. A1, 305–313 (1970). [CrossRef]

[2] S. Chu and S. Wong, “Linear pulse propagation in an absorbing medium,” Phys. Rev. Lett.48, 738–741 (1982). [CrossRef]

[3] B. Ségard and B. Macke, “Observation of negative velocity pulse propagation,” Phys. Lett.109, 213–216 (1985). [CrossRef]

[4] B. Ségard, B. Macke, and F. Wielonsky, “Optimal superluminal systems,” Phys. Rev. E72, 035601 (2005). [CrossRef]

[5] R. Y. Chiao and P. W. Milonni, “Fast light, slow light,” Opt. Photon. News13, 26–30 (2002). [CrossRef]

[6] A. M. Akulshin and R. J. McLean, “Fast light in atomic media,” J. Opt.12, 104001 (2010). [CrossRef]

[7] E. L. Bolda, J. C. Garrison, and R. Y. Chiao, “Optical pulse propagation at negative group velocities due to a nearby gain line,” Phys. Rev. A49, 2938–2947 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[8] M. S. Bigelow, N. N. Lepeshkin, and R. W. Boyd, “Superluminal and slow light propagation in a room-temperature solid,” Science301, 200–202 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[9] E. E. Mikhailov, V. A. Sautenkov, I. Novikova, and G. R. Welch, “Large negative and positive delay of optical pulses in coherently prepared dense Rb vapor with buffer gas,” Phys. Rev. A69, 063808 (2004). [CrossRef]

[10] N. Brunner, V. Scarani, V. Wegmüller, M. Legré, and N. Gisin, “Direct measurement of superluminal group velocity and signal velocity in an optical fiber,” Phys. Rev. Lett.93, 203902 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[11] M. Gonzalez-Herraez, K.-Y. Song, and L. Thevenaz, “Optically controlled slow and fast light in optical fibers using stimulated brillouin scattering,” Appl. Phys. Lett.87, 081113 (2005). [CrossRef]

[12] A. M. Steinberg and R. Y. Chiao, “Dispersionless, highly superluminal propagation in a medium with a gain doublet,” Phys. Rev. A49, 2071–2075 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[13] L. J. Wang, A. Kuzmich, and A. Dogariu, “Gain-assisted superluminal light propagation,” Nature (London)406, 277–279 (2000). [CrossRef]

[14] R. T. Glasser, U. Vogl, and P. D. Lett, “Stimulated generation of superluminal light pulses via four-wave mixing,” Phys. Rev. Lett.108, 173902 (2012). [CrossRef]

[15] R. W. Boyd and D. J. Gauthier, “Slow and fast light,” Prog. Opt.43, 178–180 (2002).

[16] R. M. Camacho, C. J. Broadbent, I. Ali-Khan, and J. C. Howell, “All-optical delay of images using slow light,” Phys. Rev. Lett.98, 043902 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[17] V. Boyer, A. M. Marino, R. C. Pooser, and P. D. Lett, “Entangled images from four-wave mixing,” Science321, 544–547 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[18] M. Fridman, A. Farsi, Y. Okawachi, and A. L. Gaeta, “Demonstration of temporal cloaking,” Nature (London)481, 62 (2012). [CrossRef]

[19] J. P. Torres, M. Hendrych, and A. Valencia, “Angular dispersion: an enabling tool in nonlinear and quantum optics,” Adv. Opt. Photon.2, 319–369 (2010). [CrossRef]

[20] P. Kumar and M. I. Kolobov, “Degenerate four-wave mixing as a source for spatially-broadband squeezed light,” Opt. Commun.104, 374–378 (1994). [CrossRef]

[21] M. S. Bigelow, N. N. Lepeshkin, H. Shin, and R. W. Boyd, “Propagation of smooth and discontinuous pulses through materials with very large or very small group velocities,” J. Phys. Condens. Matter18, 3117 (2006). [CrossRef]

[22] B. Macke and B. Ségard, “Propagation of light-pulses at a negative group-velocity,” Eur. Phys. J. D23, 125–141 (2003). [CrossRef]

[23] R. W. Boyd, D. Gauthier, and P. Narum, “Causality in superluminal pulse propagation” in Time in Quantum Mechanics2, G. Muga, A. Ruschhaupt, and A. del Campo, eds. (Springer, 2009), pp. 175–202. [CrossRef]

[24] C. F. McCormick, V. Boyer, E. Arimondo, and P. D. Lett, “Strong relative intensity squeezing by four-wave mixing in rubidium vapor,” Opt. Lett.32, 178 (2007). [CrossRef]

[25] V. Boyer, A. M. Marino, and P. D. Lett, “Generation of spatially broadband twin beams for quantum imaging,” Phys. Rev. Lett.100, 143601 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[26] V. Boyer, C. F. McCormick, E. Arimondo, and P. D. Lett, “Ultraslow propagation of matched pulses by four-wave mixing in an atomic vapor,” Phys. Rev. Lett.99, 143601 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

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Demonstration of images with negative group velocities

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Abstract

References

Adv. Opt. Photon.

Appl. Phys. Lett.

Eur. Phys. J. D

J. Opt.

J. Phys. Condens. Matter

Nature (London)

Opt. Commun.

Opt. Lett.

Opt. Photon. News

Phys. Lett.

Phys. Rev. A

Phys. Rev. E

Phys. Rev. Lett.

Prog. Opt.

Science

Other

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