Photon drag enhancement by a slow-light moving medium via electromagnetically-induced transparency amplification

Abstract Recently, a considerable enhancement has been observed in the celebrated Fresnel–Fizeau light drag by innovative experimental and theoretical approaches because of its fundamental and practical interest in the emerging technology of quantum optics and photonics. We present a semiclassical density matrix approach on the demonstration of light drag in a slow-light moving medium comprising five-level single tripod atomic configuration. To accomplish this, we introduce Kerr-type nonlinearity that leads to electromagnetically-induced transparency amplification under resonance conditions. By switching ON Kerr-type nonlinearity effect, we observe a prominent transparency window in probe field's absorption spectrum whose width and amplitude can be controlled further by the intensity of Kerr field and control field. The incorporation of Kerr field also switches light propagation from superluminal to subluminal domain. We predict a significant enhancement both in the lateral and the rotary photon drag owing to drag of light linear polarization state subjected to translation and rotation of the host medium, respectively. Consistent with earlier results, light drag considerably depends on both transverse and angular velocity of the host medium. In regime of subluminal propagation, light polarization state drags along the medium motion while in the superluminal propagation region it drags opposite to the medium motion.