Three-wave equation

In nonlinear systems, the three-wave equations, sometimes called the three-wave resonant interaction equations or triad resonances, describe small-amplitude waves in a variety of non-linear media, including electrical circuits and non-linear optics. They are a set of completely integrable nonlinear partial differential equations. Because they provide the simplest, most direct example of a resonant interaction, have broad applicability in the sciences, and are completely integrable, they have been intensively studied since the 1970s.

Informal introduction
The three-wave equation arises by consideration of some of the simplest imaginable non-linear systems. Linear differential systems have the generic form
 * $$D\psi=\lambda\psi$$

for some differential operator D. The simplest non-linear extension of this is to write
 * $$D\psi-\lambda\psi=\varepsilon\psi^2.$$

How can one solve this? Several approaches are available. In a few exceptional cases, there might be known exact solutions to equations of this form. In general, these are found in some ad hoc fashion after applying some ansatz. A second approach is to assume that $$\varepsilon\ll 1$$ and use perturbation theory to find "corrections" to the linearized theory. A third approach is to apply techniques from scattering matrix (S-matrix) theory.

In the S-matrix approach, one considers particles or plane waves coming in from infinity, interacting, and then moving out to infinity. Counting from zero, the zero-particle case corresponds to the vacuum, consisting entirely of the background. The one-particle case is a wave that comes in from the distant past and then disappears into thin air; this can happen when the background is absorbing, deadening or dissipative. Alternately, a wave appears out of thin air and moves away. This occurs when the background is unstable and generates waves: one says that the system "radiates". The two-particle case consists of a particle coming in, and then going out. This is appropriate when the background is non-uniform: for example, an acoustic plane wave comes in, scatters from an enemy submarine, and then moves out to infinity; by careful analysis of the outgoing wave, characteristics of the spatial inhomogeneity can be deduced. There are two more possibilities: pair creation and pair annihilation. In this case, a pair of waves is created "out of thin air" (by interacting with some background), or disappear into thin air.

Next on this count is the three-particle interaction. It is unique, in that it does not require any interacting background or vacuum, nor is it "boring" in the sense of a non-interacting plane-wave in a homogeneous background. Writing $$\psi_1, \psi_2, \psi_3$$ for these three waves moving from/to infinity, this simplest quadratic interaction takes the form of
 * $$(D-\lambda)\psi_1=\varepsilon\psi_2\psi_3$$

and cyclic permutations thereof. This generic form can be called the three-wave equation; a specific form is presented below. A key point is that all quadratic resonant interactions can be written in this form (given appropriate assumptions). For time-varying systems where $$\lambda$$ can be interpreted as energy, one may write
 * $$(D-i\partial/\partial t)\psi_1=\varepsilon\psi_2\psi_3$$

for a time-dependent version.

Review
Formally, the three-wave equation is
 * $$\frac{\partial B_j}{\partial t} + v_j \cdot \nabla B_j=\eta_j B^*_\ell B^*_m$$

where $$j,\ell,m=1,2,3$$ cyclic, $$v_j$$ is the group velocity for the wave having $$\vec k_j, \omega_j$$ as the wave-vector and angular frequency, and $$\nabla$$ the gradient, taken in flat Euclidean space in n dimensions. The $$\eta_j$$ are the interaction coefficients; by rescaling the wave, they can be taken $$\eta_j=\pm 1$$. By cyclic permutation, there are four classes of solutions. Writing $$\eta=\eta_1\eta_2\eta_3$$ one has $$\eta=\pm 1$$. The $$\eta=-1$$ are all equivalent under permutation. In 1+1 dimensions, there are three distinct $$\eta=+1$$ solutions: the $$+++$$ solutions, termed explosive; the $$--+$$ cases, termed stimulated backscatter, and the $$-+-$$ case, termed soliton exchange. These correspond to very distinct physical processes. One interesting solution is termed the simulton, it consists of three comoving solitons, moving at a velocity v that differs from any of the three group velocities $$v_1, v_2, v_3$$. This solution has a possible relationship to the "three sisters" observed in rogue waves, even though deep water does not have a three-wave resonant interaction.

The lecture notes by Harvey Segur provide an introduction.

The equations have a Lax pair, and are thus completely integrable. The Lax pair is a 3x3 matrix pair, to which the inverse scattering method can be applied, using techniques by Fokas. The class of spatially uniform solutions are known, these are given by Weierstrass elliptic ℘-function. The resonant interaction relations are in this case called the Manley–Rowe relations; the invariants that they describe are easily related to the modular invariants $$g_2$$ and $$g_3.$$ That these appear is perhaps not entirely surprising, as there is a simple intuitive argument. Subtracting one wave-vector from the other two, one is left with two vectors that generate a period lattice. All possible relative positions of two vectors are given by Klein's j-invariant, thus one should expect solutions to be characterized by this.

A variety of exact solutions for various boundary conditions are known. A "nearly general solution" to the full non-linear PDE for the three-wave equation has recently been given. It is expressed in terms of five functions that can be freely chosen, and a Laurent series for the sixth parameter.

Applications
Some selected applications of the three-wave equations include:
 * In non-linear optics, tunable lasers covering a broad frequency spectrum can be created by parametric three-wave mixing in quadratic ($$\chi^{(2)}$$) nonlinear crystals.
 * Surface acoustic waves and in electronic parametric amplifiers.
 * Deep water waves do not in themselves have a three-wave interaction; however, this is evaded in multiple scenarios:
 * Deep-water capillary waves are described by the three-wave equation.
 * Acoustic waves couple to deep-water waves in a three-wave interaction,
 * Vorticity waves couple in a triad.
 * A uniform current (necessarily spatially inhomogenous by depth) has triad interactions.
 * These cases are all naturally described by the three-wave equation.


 * In plasma physics, the three-wave equation describes coupling in plasmas.