We analyze electromagnetically induced transparency and light storage in an ensemble of atoms with multiple excited levels (multi-$\Lambda$ configuration) which are coupled to one of the ground states by quantized signal fields and to the other one via classical control fields. We present a basis transformation of atomic and optical states which reduces the analysis of the system to that of electromagnetically induced transparency in a regular three-level configuration. We demonstrate the existence of dark state polaritons and propose a protocol to transfer quantum information from one optical mode to another by an adiabatic control of the control fields.

• Received 31 August 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.73.013804