Mismatch management for optical and matter-wave quadratic solitons

We propose a way to control solitons in chi(2) (quadratically nonlinear) systems by means of periodic modulation imposed on the phase-mismatch parameter ("mismatch management," MM). It may be realized in the cotransmission of fundamental-frequency (FF) and second-harmonic (SH) waves in a planar optical waveguide via a long-period modulation of the usual quasi-phase-matching pattern of ferroelectric domains. In an altogether different physical setting, the MM may also be implemented by dint of the Feshbach resonance in a harmonically modulated magnetic field in a hybrid atomic-molecular Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), with the atomic and molecular mean fields (MFs) playing the roles of the FF and SH, respectively. Accordingly, the problem is analyzed in two different ways. First, in the optical model, we identify stability regions for spatial solitons in the MM system, in terms of the MM amplitude and period, using the MF equations for spatially inhomogeneous configurations. In particular, an instability enclave is found inside the stability area. The robustness of the solitons is also tested against variation of the shape of the input pulse, and a threshold for the formation of stable solitons is found in terms of the power. Interactions between stable solitons are virtually unaffected by the MM. The second method (parametric approximation), going beyond the MF description, is developed for spatially homogeneous states in the BEC model. It demonstrates that the MF description is valid for large modulation periods, while, at smaller periods, non-MF components acquire gain, which implies destruction of the MF under the action of the high-frequency MM.