Talbot effect of an electromagnetically induced square photonic lattice assisted by a spatial light modulator

We demonstrate the Talbot effect of an electromagnetically induced square photonic lattice formed under the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) condition both experimentally and theoretically in a three-level Rb-85 atomic configuration. The two-dimensional lattice patterns result from the diffraction of a Gaussian probe field traveling through the vapor cell, in which the refractive index is modulated by a coupling field with a two-dimensional periodic intensity distribution generated by a spatial light modulator. The experimental observations are consistent with the theoretical predictions. This investigation not only provides a new avenue for producing desired electromagnetically induced photonic lattices beyond the commonly adopted multi-beam interfering method but also broadens studies of electromagnetically induced Talbot effect to two-dimensional space. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America

Automated summary

The study demonstrates the Talbot effect in an electromagnetically induced square photonic lattice formed under the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) condition in a three-level Rb-85 atomic configuration. Two-dimensional lattice patterns are generated by diffraction of a Gaussian probe field through a vapor cell, where the refractive index is modulated by a coupling field with a two-dimensional periodic intensity distribution. Experimental observations match theoretical predictions, providing a new approach for creating desired photonic lattices and expanding studies of the electromagnetically induced Talbot effect to two-dimensional space.