Phase-dependent inversionless gain in a four-level atomic system with a closed interaction loop

A four-level atomic system with a closed interaction loop connected by two coherent driving fields and a microwave field is investigated. The results show that inversionless gain can be achieved on a higher frequency transition outside the closed interaction loop, and the gain behaviour can be modulated by the phase of the closed loop as well as the amplitude of the microwave field. The phase sensitivity property in such a scheme is similar to that in an analogous configuration with spontaneously generated coherence, but it is beyond the rigorous condition of near-degenerate levels with non-orthogonal dipole moments. Therefore this scheme is much more convenient in experimental realization.