Ultraslow optical solitons in a cold four-state medium.

We show the formation of ultraslow optical solitons in a lifetime broadened four-state atomic medium under Raman excitation. With appropriate conditions we demonstrate, both analytically and numerically, that both bright and dark ultraslow optical solitons can occur in such a highly resonant medium with remarkable propagation characteristics. This work may open other research opportunities in condensed matter and may result in a substantial impact on technology.