Multi-wave Mixing Processes: From Ultrafast Polarization Beats To Electromagnetically Induced Transparency

Yanpeng Zhang Min Xiao Multi-Wave Mixing Processes From Ultrafast Polarization Beats to Electromagnetically Induced Transparency Yanpeng Zhang Min Xiao Multi-Wave Mixing Processes From Ultrafast Polarization Beats to Electromagnetically Induced Transparency With 134 figures AUTHORS: Prof. Yanpeng Zhang Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China E-mail: [email protected] Prof. Min Xiao Department of Physics University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Arkansas 72701, USA E-mail: [email protected] ISBN 978-7-04-025795-3 Higher Education Press, Beijing ISBN 978-3-540-89527-5 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York e ISBN 978-3-540-89528-2 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2008939220 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. c 2009 Higher Education Press, Beijing and Springer-Verlag GmbH Berlin Heidelberg  Co-published by Higher Education Press, Beijing and Springer-Verlag GmbH Berlin Heidelberg Springer is a part of Springer Science+Business Media springer.com The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover design: Frido Steinen-Broo, EStudio Calamar, Spain Printed on acid-free paper Preface Nonlinear optics covers very broad research directions and has been a very active area of research for about fifty years since the invention of the first laser at the beginning of 1960s. There are several excellent text books devoted to various aspects of nonlinear optics including Nonlinear Optics by R. W. Boyd, Nonlinear Optics by Y. R. Shen, Quantum Electronics by A. Yariv, Principles of Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy by S. Mukamel, and Nonlinear Fiber Optics by G. P. Agrawal. Multi-wave mixings in gases, liquids, and solid materials are important parts