Direct Observation of Optical Precursors in a Region of Anomalous Dispersion

Abstract

observation of optical precursors in a region of anomalous dispersion, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 143901 (2006).

Optical Precursors with Electromagnetically Induced Transparency in Cold Atoms

“…Experimentally, precursors have been reported in gamma rays [9], microwave [10], optical [5,11,12], and sound [13,14] waves. While the features are in qualitative agreement with theory, these data were rather limited in both scope and precision, far below what is required to compare with the theoretical predictions.…”

Optical Precursor of a Single Photon

“…This wave property, first predicted by Sommerfeld and Brillouin in 1914 [2,3], is of great interest not only for fundamental reasons since it is related to Einstein's causality, but also for applications because of its connection to the maximum speed of information transmission [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Together with other experiments [11,12], now it is clear that the precursor is the fastest part in the propagation of an optical pulse even in a superluminal medium [7,8,10]. However, classical precursors are entirely based on macroscopic electromagnetic wave propagation, whereas envisioned applications, particularly quantum cryptography, involve interactions of single photons with atoms or molecules quantum mechanically.…”

Narrowband Biphotons: Generation, Manipulation, and Applications

“…They showed theoretically that the front of a step-modulated optical pulse (as a carrier of 1 bit information) propagating in a dispersive medium always travels at c. This front, in the form of a transient wave now known as the Sommerfeld-Brillouin precursor, is then followed by the main pulse traveling at its group velocity. Study of optical precursors is of great interests not only for fundamental reasons since it is related to Einstein's causality, but also for applications because of its connection to the maximum speed of optical information transmission [65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72]. Now it is clear that the precursor is the fastest part in the propagation of an optical pulse even in a superluminal medium [68,69,71].…”

“…Study of optical precursors is of great interests not only for fundamental reasons since it is related to Einstein's causality, but also for applications because of its connection to the maximum speed of optical information transmission [65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72]. Now it is clear that the precursor is the fastest part in the propagation of an optical pulse even in a superluminal medium [68,69,71]. Classical precursors are entirely based on macroscopic electromagnetic wave propagation.…”