The properties of coherent population trapping and possible applications in high-resolution interferometry

Summary form only given. in recent years a lot of theoretical work has been done analyzing coherent effects in three-level atoms coupled with two laser fields. Possible applications using the steep dispersion with vanishing absorption have been discussed. We have measured the properties of a coherent population trapping scheme in a Cs atomic beam using a new heterodyne interferometry technique. This technique is based on detection of the beat signal between both fields first before and second after the interaction region.