Generation and control of electromagnetically induced double photonic band-gaps

Abstract

By using the technique of electromagnetically induced transparency and solving density matrix equations for atoms and transfer matrix equations of fields, we study the steady optical properties of a four-level system of cold atoms driven by a traveling-wave field and a standing-wave field. It is found that a nearly perfect structure of double photonic band-gap can be generated with specific parameters. In particular, the reflectivity inside each photonic band-gap is homogeneous over 95%. It is convenient to modulate the positions and widths of both photonic band-gaps by changing intensities and frequencies of the driving fields. The double photonic band-gaps can be used to achieve all-optical routing and switching and therefore may have applications in all-optical information networks.