Conditional phase-shifter in refractive index enhancement scheme

Abstract

We propose a conditional phase-shifter between two weak laser beams in an alkali vapor. We begin by enhancing the refractive index of a weak, far-detuned probe beam while maintaining vanishing absorption. The enhancement is a result of interfering an absorptive and an amplifying Raman resonance in a four-level atomic system. Then, a conditional switching beam ac stark shifts the narrow Raman resonances, modifying the phase accumulation experienced by the probe beam. We find that the scheme works with acceptable fidelity at the tens of photons level, and that the energy requirement can be reduced further at the expense of noise.