Electromagnetically induced transparency and light slowdown for Λ-like systems with a structured continuum

Electric susceptibility of a laser-dressed atomic medium is calculated for a model Λ-like system including two lower states and a continuum structured by a presence of an autoionizing state or a continuum with a laser-induced structure. Depending on the strength of a control field, it is possible to obtain a significant reduction of the light velocity in a narrow frequency window in the conditions of a small absorption. It is shown that increasing the values of the asymmetry parameters leads to an increase of the values of both real and imaginary parts of the medium susceptibility and to an increase of the width of the transparency window, compared with the case of a flat continuum. A smooth transition is shown between the case of a flat continuum and that of a discrete state serving as the upper state of a Λ system.