Two-dimensional electromagnetically induced grating via phase regulation in a closed-loop four-level atomic system

We proposed a theoretical scheme for two-dimensional (2D) electromagnetically induced grating (EIG) in a closed-loop four-level atomic system driven by a weak probe field, a traveling-wave control field, two orthogonal standing-wave fields and a microwave field. Due to low amplitude modulation accompanied with large phase modulation, EIG can be obtained and the probe energy can be diffracted into first-order and even high-order directions with high efficiency. The results show that the diffraction pattern and efficiency of the EIG could be adjusted effectively by the probe field detuning, the coherent field intensity, the interaction length. Meanwhile, the quantum interference between the amplitude modulation and phase modulation can be manipulated by the relative phase, which can be used to regulate the diffraction pattern and efficiency of the 2D EIG. Our scheme of 2D EIG may be useful in beam splitting and all-optical switching.