title: Cooperative Emission of a Coherent Superflash of Light.
abstract: We investigate the transient coherent transmission of light through an optically thick cold strontium gas. We observe a coherent superflash just after an abrupt probe extinction, with peak intensity more than three times the incident one. We show that this coherent superflash is a direct signature of the cooperative forward emission of the atoms. By engineering fast transient phenomena on the incident field, we give a clear and simple picture of the physical mechanisms at play.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371 Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kwong
authors.affiliation: Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pramod
authors.affiliation: Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, UPMC-Paris 6, ENS, CNRS; 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Delande
authors.affiliation: ESPCI ParisTech, PSL Research University, CNRS, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pierrat
authors.affiliation: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371 Singapore, Singapore and Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore, Singapore and Institut Non Linéaire de Nice, Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS UMR 7335, 06560 Valbonne, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wilkowski