Spatial patterns in nonlinear optics: nonlinear effects and patterns in a cold atomic cloud

Labeyrie, G., Ackemann, T., Klappauf, B., Pesch, M., Lippi, G.L. and Kaiser, R. (2003) Spatial patterns in nonlinear optics: nonlinear effects and patterns in a cold atomic cloud. Optics & Photonics News, 14 (12), 41-41. (doi:10.1364/OPN.14.12.000041).

Abstract

The nonlinear interaction between an optical medium and an electro-magnetic field can induce gradients in the index of refraction distribution, leading to patterns or filamentation in the most diverse nonlinear materials: solids, anisotropic soft matter (liquid crystals), cells containing thermal vapors, etc. One common difficulty in interpreting the results of these experiments and in comparing them to models is that the details of the interaction in these media are very complex. Cold atomic systems have well known linear and nonlinear optical properties, as illustrated in experiments on four wave mixing, electro-magnetic induced transparency or slow light propagation. Such samples are thus an excellent candidate for improving the comparison between theory and experiments, but so far to our knowledge no investigations on patterns have been performed in such systems.

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