title: Observation of ultraslow light propagation in a ruby crystal at room temperature.
abstract: We have observed slow light propagation with a group velocity as low as 57.5+/-0.5 m/s at room temperature in a ruby crystal. A quantum coherence effect, coherent population oscillations, produces a very narrow spectral "hole" in the homogeneously broadened absorption profile of ruby. The resulting rapid spectral variation of the refractive index leads to a large value of the group index. We observe slow light propagation both for Gaussian-shaped light pulses and for amplitude modulated optical beams in a system that is much simpler than those previously used for generating slow light.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bigelow
authors.forename: Nick N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Lepeshkin
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Boyd