Coherence-induced effects in pulse-pair propagation through absorbing media

Abstract

The propagation of a pair of electromagnetic pulses through a coherently prepared atomic medium in the ? configuration is studied. We find that even in an absorbing medium, it is possible to produce pulses that propagate shape invariant. The results reveal the spatiotemporal dynamics associated with field propagation, and highlight the role of atom preparation, pulse intensities, and medium length, on the final output pulses that one obtains. We also explore the prospects for pulse shaping and control by using dissimilar shaped pulses at the input to the medium and following their evolution.