TIME-DOMAIN OPTICAL-DATA STORAGE BY USE OF RAMAN COHERENT POPULATION TRAPPING

We experimentally demonstrate time-domain storage and retrieval of amp litude- and phase-encoded optical data, using Raman coherent populatio n trapping, despite the loss of information about absolute optical pha ses that occurs as a result of the dissipative nature of the process. In this Raman optical storage process homogeneous decay of the optical coherence does not prevent interference between time-separated fields , thus relaxing the requirement for long-lived optical coherences.