Efficient, broadband, and robust frequency conversion by fully nonlinear adiabatic three-wave mixing

A comprehensive physical model of adiabatic three-wave mixing is developed for the fully nonlinear regime, i.e., without making the undepleted pump approximation. The conditions for adiabatic evolution are rigorously derived, together with an estimate of the bandwidth of the process. Furthermore, these processes are shown to be robust and efficient. Finally, numerical simulations demonstrate adiabatic frequency conversion in a wide variety of physically attainable configurations. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America