Robust storage of topologically protected light in warm alkali vapor

We investigate the storage properties of light with different transverse electric field profiles in warm Rb vapor via electromagnetically induced transparency. We first store Gaussian and Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams, and study the evolution of the stored intensity profile. We show that even though the LG beam vortex remains topologically protected, the intensity profile of either beam is significantly broadened owing to atomic diffusion. Next, we produce a Bessel beam with an axicon and show that the non-diffracting intensity profile is relatively immune to atomic diffusion and is preserved during storage.