Coherent control of light field with electromagnetically induced transparency in a dark state Raman coherent tripod system

The coherent superposition of two-atomic levels induced by coherent population trapping is employed in a standard $\Lambda$ type scheme to form a tripod-like system. A weak probe pulse scanning across the system is shown to experience a crossover from absorption to transparent and then to amplification. Consequently the group velocity of the probe pulse can be controlled to propagate either as a subluminal, a standard, a superluminal or even a negative speed. It is shown that the propagation behavior of the light field is entirely determined and controlled by the initial states of the coherent superposition.