Material slow and fast light in a zero-dispersion configuration

Abstract

We study the propagation of light pulses in an absorbing medium when the frequency of their carrier coincides with a zero of the refractive index dispersion. Although slow light and, a fortiori, fast light are not expected in such conditions, we show that both can be obtained by selecting particular phase-components of the transmitted field. Analytical expressions of the resulting signals are obtained by a procedure of periodic continuation of the incident pulse and a proof of principle of the predicted phenomena is performed by means of a very simple electrical network, the transfer function of which mimics that of the medium.