Role of the coupling laser in electromagnetically induced absorption

The cesium D2 line closed hyperfine transition F =4 →F = 5 was simultaneously coupled and probed in a hot atomic beam. We experimentally showed that, when the probe laser frequency approached that of the two-photon-resonance corresponding to electromagnetically induced absorption conditions, an enhanced transparency of the coupling laser appeared, combined with a further central absorption peak at zero probe laser detuning. Simultaneously, the coupling laser parametric dispersion showed a broad negative pattern together with a narrower steep positive phase shift in correspondence with the two-photon resonance, with sub-Doppler half-widths down to about 10 kHz.