We theoretically study the properties of a dielectric plate with a modified Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometer. The fourth-order correlation functions are calculated in two regimes, which are divided depending on the relative size between the thickness of the dielectric plate and the one-photon coherence length. When the thickness of the dielectric plate is less than the one-photon coherence length, a novel modulation behavior of the coincidence rate is observed, which has not been discussed before. If the thickness of the dielectric plate is larger than the one-photon coherence length, coalescence and anti-coalescence are observed. The obtained results highlight the effects of a linear optical element on fourth-order interference.
In this work, we report on an off-resonant four-wave mixing experiment via a ladder-type configuration in a hot rubidium atomic vapour. We find for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that the generated light is delayed compared with the reference. At the same time, the seeded signal beam is also delayed, though the delay time is not as so large as the one that the generated light has. Both delayed times can be adjusted experimentally by controlling the two-photon detuning. The experimental results are in good agreement with our theoretical predictions. Our results may be important for storing telecom-band photons.
