A light pulse is decelerated and trapped in a vapor of rubidium (Rb) atoms, stored for a controlled period of time, and then released on demand. This is achieved by dynamically reducing the group velocity of the light pulse to zero, mapping the coherent excitation of the light into a collective Zeeman (spin) coherence of the Rb vapor. The technique relies on Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT), which allows a weak optical field to propagate with a substantially reduced group velocity. The light-storage process involves converting the light pulse into collective spin excitations in the Rb vapor, storing it for a controllable time, and then converting it back into a light pulse. The non-destructive nature of the technique makes it suitable for applications in quantum communication. The storage time is limited by the atomic coherence lifetime, with up to 0.5 ms measured in the experiment. The method uses a "Lambda" configuration of three atomic states, with the control and signal fields represented by right and left circularly polarized light. The experiment was conducted in Rb vapor at temperatures of ~70-90°C, with atomic densities of ~10¹¹-10¹² cm⁻³. The light pulse is spatially compressed due to the reduction in group velocity, and the storage is achieved by turning off the control field, which causes the dark-state polariton to be adiabatically converted into a purely atomic excitation. Turning the control field back on reverses the process, restoring the light pulse. Theoretical analysis confirms the mechanism, showing that the light pulse can be stored and retrieved without significant loss. The technique is more robust and reliable than single-atom approaches and has potential applications in quantum computing and communication.A light pulse is decelerated and trapped in a vapor of rubidium (Rb) atoms, stored for a controlled period of time, and then released on demand. This is achieved by dynamically reducing the group velocity of the light pulse to zero, mapping the coherent excitation of the light into a collective Zeeman (spin) coherence of the Rb vapor. The technique relies on Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT), which allows a weak optical field to propagate with a substantially reduced group velocity. The light-storage process involves converting the light pulse into collective spin excitations in the Rb vapor, storing it for a controllable time, and then converting it back into a light pulse. The non-destructive nature of the technique makes it suitable for applications in quantum communication. The storage time is limited by the atomic coherence lifetime, with up to 0.5 ms measured in the experiment. The method uses a "Lambda" configuration of three atomic states, with the control and signal fields represented by right and left circularly polarized light. The experiment was conducted in Rb vapor at temperatures of ~70-90°C, with atomic densities of ~10¹¹-10¹² cm⁻³. The light pulse is spatially compressed due to the reduction in group velocity, and the storage is achieved by turning off the control field, which causes the dark-state polariton to be adiabatically converted into a purely atomic excitation. Turning the control field back on reverses the process, restoring the light pulse. Theoretical analysis confirms the mechanism, showing that the light pulse can be stored and retrieved without significant loss. The technique is more robust and reliable than single-atom approaches and has potential applications in quantum computing and communication.