We report the experimental verification of nonclassical correlations for an unfiltered spontaneous four-wave mixing process in an ensemble of cold two-level atoms, confirming theoretical predictions by Du et al. in 2007 for the violation of a Cauchy-Schwarz inequality in the system, and obtaining $R=(1.98\pm 0.03)\nleqq 1$. Quantum correlations are observed in a nanoseconds timescale in the interference between the central exciting frequency and sidebands dislocated by the detuning to the atomic resonance. They prevail over the noise background coming from Rayleigh scattering from the same optical transition. These correlations are fragile with respect to processes that disturb the phase of the atomic excitation, but are robust to variations in number of atoms and to increasing light intensities.

• Received 31 July 2021
• Revised 15 January 2022
• Accepted 24 January 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.083601