Adiabatic Condition for Nonlinear Systems

We revisit the adiabatic criterion in stimulated Raman adiabatic passage for the three-level $\Lambda$-system, and compare the situation with and without nonlinearity. In linear systems, the adiabatic condition is derived with the help of the instantaneous eigenvalues and eigenstates of the Hamiltonian, a procedure that breaks down in the presence of nonlinearity. Using an explicit example relevant to photoassociation of atoms into diatomic molecules, we demonstrate that the proper way to derive the adiabatic condition for the nonlinear systems is through a linearization procedure.