Phase-dependent light propagation in an atomic vapor

This paper investigates theoretically the dynamics of light propagation in a medium of atoms, whose driven transitions are diamond-shaped. This study shows how the medium response is critically determined by the initial relative phase between the input laser fields. In particular, depending on the value of the phase the optical length of the medium can differ by orders of magnitude, and the medium can be thus transparent or opaque. Perspectives for nonlinear optical applications are discussed.