Experimental implementation of a four-level N-type scheme for the observation of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency

A nondegenerate four-level N-type scheme was experimentally implemented to observe electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) at the $^{87}$Rb D$_{2}$ line. Radiations of two independent external-cavity semiconductor lasers were used in the experiment, the current of one of them being modulated at a frequency equal to the hyperfine-splitting frequency of the excited 5P$_{3/2}$ level. In this case, apart from the main EIT dip corresponding to the two-photon Raman resonance in a three-level $\Lambda$-scheme, additional dips detuned from the main dip by a frequency equal to the frequency of the HF generator were observed in the absorption spectrum. These dips were due to an increase in the medium transparency at frequencies corresponding to the three-photon Raman resonances in four-level N-type schemes. The resonance shapes are analyzed as functions of generator frequency and magnetic field.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figure

A ``Tetris''-like model for the Compaction of Dry Granular Media

We propose a two-dimensional geometrical model, based on the concept of geometrical frustration, conceived for the study of compaction in granular media. The dynamics exhibits an interesting inverse logarithmic law that is well known from real experiments. Moreover we present a simple dynamical model of $N$ planes exchanging particles with excluded volume problems, which allows to clarify the origin of the logarithmic relaxations and the stationary density distribution. A simple mapping allows us to cast this Tetris-like model in the form of an Ising-like spin systems with vacancies.Comment: 4 pages, Latex including 2 PS figures (reference corrected). Subm. to Phys. Rev. Lett. (1997