We present a phase-induced transparency-based scheme to generate structured-beam patterns in a closed four-level atomic system. We employ a phase-structured probe beam and a transverse magnetic field (TMF) to create phase-dependent medium susceptibility. We show that such phase-dependent modulation of absorption holds the key to formation of a structured beam. We use a full density matrix formalism to explain the experiments of Radwell et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 123603 (2015)] at weak probe limits. Our numerical results on beam propagation confirms that the phase information present in the absorption profile gets encoded on the spatial probe envelope, which creates petal-like structures even in the strong field limit. The contrast of the formed structured beam can be enhanced by changing the strength of TMF as well as of the probe intensity. In weak field limits an absorption profile is solely responsible for creating a structured beam, whereas in the strong probe regime, both dispersion and absorption profiles facilitate the generation of a high-contrast structured beam. Furthermore, we find the rotation of structured beams owing to strong-field-induced nonlinear magneto-optical rotation.

• Received 8 June 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.96.033811