Observation of the transparency of a resonant medium to zero-degree optical pulses

Abstract

Experiments are described in which low-intensity laser pulses of zero area [f:'m8(z, t) dt=O) are propagated through a degenerate resonantly absorbing medium with greatly reduced absorption. These pulses are constructed either electro-optically or by allowing a non-zerodegree pulse to evolve toward zero area by means of a resonant absorption and reradiation process. We observe the transmission of as much as 65% of the energy of such pulses through a resonant absorber which attenuates the same cw laser by e-GL , with OIL "" 20.