Dynamic light deflection in an active Raman-gain medium using a spatially inhomogeneous pump

Abstract

We study optical wave deflection in a three-level active Raman gain medium using a spatially inhomogeneous pump field. Using the eikonal approximation, we derive an analytical expression for the deflection angle and demonstrate more than an order of magnitude increase in deflection when compared to the electromagnetically induced transparency method. Numerical simulations have shown excellent agreement with semi-classical theoretical predictions. We further discuss the concept of light-beam-deflection-based wavelength division multiplexing which may have important applications in integrated circuits for optical telecommunications.