title: Controlling light by light with three-level atoms inside an optical cavity.
abstract: We present our experimental demonstration of controlling the cavity output intensity of one laser beam with the intensity of another laser beam in a composite system consisting of a collection of three-level ?-type rubidium atoms and an optical ring cavity. When the intensity of the controlling beam is modulated with a square waveform, the cavity output power switches on and off (with a distinction ratio better than 20:1) between two steady-state values. This all-optical switching effect is the result of combined absorption and enhanced Kerr nonlinearity near resonance in such three-level atomic systems because of atomic coherence and can find applications in optical communication and optical computation.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goorskey
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiao