Tom / Steve
Steve,"It's impossible that the light pass this c limit." Yes, that's virtually what the experiments say, but, when considering phase velocity, except for short local 'boosts' it gets, probably from harmonic interaction, in the narrow 'absorption bands", diving below n = 1 only momentarily.
Tom
Interesting view, as always. The 'reason' you give is not however quite what all the optical fibre research says. In fact there are two elements, one is the very local and short range harmonic one mentioned above, the other is that when dealing with dielectric media c/n remains a universal law in that frame. In other words, if a light pulse in an optical fibre cable does precisely, or even just over or just under, 'c', if that cable is in motion wrt the observer the v of the observer is simply added or subtracted. The light emitted towards the observer is a result of scattering from the particles, and it will pass through the optical fibre at c/n of the medium, and air at c/n of air, and be measured by the observer at c/n.
We may therefore observe light at apparently greater than 'c', but we are only observing a 'rate of change of position', as it rarely does much more than 'c' locally.
There are scores of excellent papers on atomic scattering, PMD and various aspects of Optical Fibre science and chromatic dispersion which all seem to lead to the same or similar conclusions. This does not conflict with the SR postulates but, again, does seem to conflict with a common misconception.
Peter
PS. Roy; I understand the Hau lab (Harvard) can now freeze it temporarily to a dead halt, but I suspect you are right and that may be just our 'perception' of stopped. It seems to support the concept of a temporarily 'imprinted' wave/oscillation pattern, with velocity slowed subject to temperature.