Abstract
We report an experimental demonstration of low-light-level photon switching by quantum interference in laser-cooled atoms. A resonant probe pulse with an energy per unit area of one photon per propagates through the optically thick atoms. Its energy transmittance is greater than 63%, or a loss of less than , because of the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency. In the presence of a switching pulse with an energy per unit area of 1.4 photons per , the energy transmittance of the same probe pulse becomes less than 37%, or . This substantial reduction of probe transmittance caused by switching photons may lead to potential applications in single-photon-level nonlinear optics and manipulation of quantum information.
© 2005 Optical Society of America
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