Storage and retrieval of multimode transverse images in hot atomic rubidium vapor

We report on the experimental realization of the storage of images in a hot vapor of Rubidium atoms. The images are stored in and retrieved from the long-lived ground state atomic coherences. We show that an image impressed onto a 500 ns pulse can be stored and retrieved up to 30 mu s later. The image storage is made robust to diffusion by storing the Fourier transform of the image.