Absorption Changes Induced by Off-Resonance Driving a Degenerate Two-Level System

The alteration of atomic absorption via quantum coherence is observed in the degenerate two-level atomic system. It is shown that when the detuning of coupling field equals to that of probe light, i.e. two-photon resonance, the reduction of atomic absorption via electromagnetically induced transparency occurs. However, when we tune the coupling field to two-photon off-resonance, the enhancement of absorption is obtained for the probe field. The influences of one-photon detuning and intensity of coupling field on absorption are also experimentally demonstrated.