  We show that light pulses can be stopped and stored all-optically, with a
process that involves an adiabatic and reversible pulse bandwidth compression
occurring entirely in the optical domain. Such a process overcomes the
fundamental bandwidth-delay constraint in optics, and can generate arbitrarily
small group velocities for light pulses with a given bandwidth, without the use
of any coherent or resonant light-matter interactions. We exhibit this process
in optical resonator systems, where the pulse bandwidth compression is
accomplished only by small refractive index modulations performed at moderate
speeds. (Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. Submitted on Sept. 10th
2003)
