Strong electromagnetically induced transparency in atomic media with large residual Doppler broadening

Electromagnetically induced transparency and coherent population trapping were observed in a hot (1000 K) calcium vapor embedded into an electrical gas discharge. Unexpectedly large transparencies (of up to 70%) were observed under very unfavorable conditions: probe wavelength shorter than the coupling wavelength, and coupling Rabi frequency significantly smaller than the residual Doppler linewidth of the two photon transition. We developed a theoretical model that shows that the observed results are due to the combined effects of a strong probe beam and a small open character of the atomic system. Coherent population trapping also manifests itself as a change in the impedance of the gas discharge, and the phenomenon can be probed with high sensitivity via the optogalvanic effect.