Electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) exploits quantum coherence to burn subnatural linewidth holes within a spectral line. We investigate the less explored properties of EIT to effect absorptive nonlinear processes without restrictions on the relative intensities of pump and probe fields. We show that a three-level medium under imperfect EIT conditions can generate a form of bleaching that is qualitatively similar to two-state saturable absorption. This scheme has the advantages of greater sensitivity to signal intensity and controllability over its bleaching intensity level post-fabrication. Such effects could prove useful for noise filtration at very low light levels.
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