A four-level tripod active-Raman-gain scheme is analyzed for obtaining phase-controlled gain, phase shift, and group velocity at room temperature. The scheme can be used to eliminate significant probe field atten- uation or distortion which is unavoidable in the scheme based on electromagnetically induced transparency. It is shown that the intensity gain, phase shift, and group velocity of a probe field can be simultaneously manipulated by changing the relative phase of two pump fields. The scheme is also different from that proposed recently by Deng et al. where a probe-field gain always exists. New features of the scheme presented here raise the possibility of designing rapidly responding optical switches and gates for optical information processing.
