Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Fock-space WKB method for the boson Josephson model describing a Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a double-well potential

V. S. Shchesnovich, Marek Trippenbach

Published Aug 6, 2008• 61 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We develop a Fock-space WKB method for a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a double-well trap, using an analogy with a single particle of either positive or negative mass in a quantum potential. The usual mean-field approach is the classical limit, and the inverse number of atoms plays the role of Planck constant. The ground state of positive-mass particles corresponds to the mean-field fixed point of lower energy, while that of negative mass to the excited fixed point. In the case of attractive BECs above the threshold for symmetry breaking, the ground state is the Schr\"odinger cat state and we relate this to the double-well shape of the potential in Fock space. In the repulsive case, we identify the quantum states corresponding to the mean-field macroscopic self-trapping phenomenon. In particular, the phase-locked ($\ensuremath{\pi}$ phase) macroscopic quantum self-trapping of BECs is related to the double-well shape of the potential in Fock space. The running-phase macroscopic quantum self-trapping state is found to be subject to quantum collapses and revivals. The phase dispersion grows exponentially, reaching the absolute maximum just before the first collapse of the running phase, which may explain the growth of the phase fluctuations seen in the experiment on macroscopic quantum self-trapping.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.78.023611

Related papers

Fock-space quantum particle approach for the two-mode boson model describing BEC trapped in a double-well potential

V. S. Shchesnovich, Marek Trippenbach

We develop the Fock-space many-body quantum approach for large number of bosons, when the bosons occupy significantly only few modes. The approach is based on an analogy with the dynamics of a single particle of either positive or negative mass in a quantum potential, where the inverse number of bosons plays the role of Planck constant. As application of the method we consider the Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well trap. The ground state of positive mass particle corresponds to the mean-field fixed point of lower energy, while that of negative mass to the excited fixed point. In the case of attractive BEC above the threshold for symmetry breaking, the ground state is a cat state and we relate this fact to the double-well shape of the quantum potential for the positive mass quantum particle. The tunneling energy splitting between the local Fock states of the cat state is shown to be extremely small for the nonlinearity parameter just above the critical value and exponentially decreasing with the number of atoms. In the repulsive case, the phase locked ($π$-phase) macroscopic quantum self-trapping of BEC is related to the double-well structure of the potential for the negative mass quantum particle. We also analyze the running phase macroscopic quantum self-trapping state and show that it is subject to quantum collapses and revivals. Moreover, the quantum dynamics just before the first collapse of the running phase shows exponential growth of dispersion of the quantum phase distribution which may explain the growth of the phase fluctuations seen in the experiment on the macroscopic quantum self-trapping.

arXiv:0804.0234•Apr 1, 2008•0 citations

Macroscopic self-trapping in Bose-Einstein condensates: Analysis of a dynamical quantum phase transition

Bruno Juliá-Díaz, Daniel Dagnino, Maciej Lewenstein +2 more

We consider a Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well potential undergoing a dynamical transition from the regime of Josephson oscillations to the regime of self-trapping. We analyze the statistical properties of the ground state (or the highest excited state) of the Hamiltonian in these two regimes for attractive (repulsive) interactions. We demonstrate that it is impossible to describe the transition within the mean-field theory. In contrast, the transition proceeds through a strongly correlated delocalized state, with large quantum fluctuations, and spontaneous breaking of the symmetry.

arXiv:0912.1239•Physical Review A•Feb 18, 2010•86 citations

Open Quantum Dynamics of Mesoscopic Bose-Einstein Condensates

Joel Frederick Corney

The properties of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well potential are investigated through a two-mode analysis. An analytic solution for the semiclassical tunnelling and self-trapping dynamics is compared with numerical simulations of the quantum dynamics, which exhibit collapses and revivals for a closed system. A continuous non-destructive measurement technique to monitor the Josephson tunnelling oscillations is presented, in which the condensate in one well dispersively shifts the phase of a coherent probe beam in proportion to atom-number. The evolution of the resulting homodyne photocurrent and Bloch Q distributions shows that oscillations develop even when the initial state possesses phase symmetry. The conditional dynamics of the condensate which result from measurement back-action also appear in certain semiclassical formulations. The homodyne measurement technique is incorporated into a proposed weak-force detector. A maximally entangled initial state, which is the ground state for a double condensate with strong attractive atomic interactions, enables a high-precision measurement. The dynamics of quantum many-body multimode systems of interacting bosons are simulated using phase-space methods. The use of the Wigner technique predicts novel noise effects in fibre solitons. The positive-P representation is used to simulate the formation of mesoscopic Bose-Einstein condensates via evaporative cooling in three dimensional atom traps. The results indicate highly non-classical behaviour near the critical point, and provide evidence for the spontaneous formation of vortices. Comparisons with corresponding mean-field calculations reveal large differences between the semiclassical and fully quantum results. Finally, the possibility of future progress with alternative phase-space methods is considered.

•Jan 1, 2000•1 citation

Bistability and macroscopic quantum coherence in BECs: the two cases of attractive and repulsive interactions

A. Montina, F. T. Arecchi

We consider Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in situations where the density undergoes a symmetry breaking, either in real space or in momentum space. This occurs for a suitable number of condensed atoms in a double well potential, obtained in real space for a BEC of lithium atoms by adding a standing wave light field to the trap potential, or in momentum space for rubidium atoms by Raman coupling two BECs in different magnetic states with two tilted light fields. Evidence of bistability results from the solution of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. By second quantization, we show that the classical bistable situation is in fact a Schrödinger cat (SC) and we evaluate the macroscopic quantum coherence between the two SC states.

Journal of Modern Optics•Jan 1, 2002•3 citations

Self-trapping and its periodic modulation of Bose-Einstein condensates in double-well trap

Guanfang Wang, Fu Li-Bin, Zhao Hong +2 more

Self-trapping of Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) in double-well trap is investigated. Two kinds of self-trapping are discussed through phase space analysis in the mean-field approximation: 1) The number of atoms oscillates near an equilibrium point in the phase space, while relative phase increases monotonously with time (running-phase); 2) Both the number of particles and the relative phase oscillate near an equilibrium point in the phase space. In particular, we investigate how an external periodic filed influence the self-trapping. It is found that the external periodic field may dramatically modulate the critical points at which the transition to self-trapping occurs. With this, we can observe self-trapping phenomenon in a dilute Bose-Einstein condensate with a very weak interaction as well. Finally, the effect of many-body quantum fluctuation on self-trapping is also studied. We also discuss how to observe the self-trapping phenomenon with present experimental techniques.

Acta Physica Sinica•Jan 1, 2005•29 citations

Nonlinear Dynamics of Attractive Bose-Einstein Condensates in Double-Well Potential with Tunable Gaussian Barrier

Yubo Liu, Chen Zheng, Yue Zhou +5 more

Abstract Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) is a paradigmatic representative of macroscopic quantum states. 39 K atoms serve as an ideal system for realizing a nearly ideal BEC owing to their ultra-small background scattering length. This study further investigates the nonlinear dynamics of 39 K BEC confined in a double-well potential under attractive interactions. In this work, a Gaussian barrier is integrated with a double-well potential, and we innovatively adopt a transient dynamics approach to construct a highly non-equilibrium initial state where all atoms are confined to the left well. We track the full evolutionary process of the system from non-equilibrium excitation to stable self-trapping, elucidating wave function contraction and energy conversion. Under high barrier height conditions, tunneling is substantially suppressed: atoms localize in a single well, the longitudinal position expectation value remains constant, and the phase difference is locked, leading to the formation of a macroscopic quantum self-trapping state. Radial oscillations exhibit reduced amplitude and a slower evolution rate owing to density homogenization. A smooth, fluctuation-free momentum density profile corresponds to the static localized regime of self-trapping. Coherence transitions from dynamic oscillation to static locking, and weak attractive interactions in 39 K atoms further prolong the coherence time. This study elucidates key microscopic mechanisms, including the nonlinear coupling mechanism of attractive interactions, the dynamic-static transition rules of coherence, and momentum density acting as a microscopic probe for tunneling and soliton dynamics, thereby providing a quantitative basis for the preparation of tunable quantum states.

Chinese Physics B•Mar 16, 2026•0 citations
We develop a Fock-space WKB method for a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a double-well trap, using an analogy with a single particle of either positive or negative mass in a quantum potential. The usual mean-field approach is the classical limit, and the inverse number of atoms plays the role of Planck constant. The ground state of positive-mass particles corresponds to the mean-field fixed point of lower energy, while that of negative mass to the excited fixed point. In the case of attractive BECs above the threshold for symmetry breaking, the ground state is the Schr"odinger cat state and we relate this to the double-well shape of the potential in Fock space. In the repulsive case, we identify the quantum states corresponding to the mean-field macroscopic self-trapping phenomenon. In particular, the phase-locked (\ensuremathπ\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremathπ phase) macroscopic quantum self-trapping of BECs is related to the double-well shape of the potential in Fock space. The running-phase macroscopic quantum self-trapping state is found to be subject to quantum collapses and revivals. The phase dispersion grows exponentially, reaching the absolute maximum just before the first collapse of the running phase, which may explain the growth of the phase fluctuations seen in the experiment on macroscopic quantum self-trapping.
We develop the Fock-space many-body quantum approach for large number of bosons, when the bosons occupy significantly only few modes. The approach is based on an analogy with the dynamics of a single particle of either positive or negative mass in a quantum potential, where the inverse number of bosons plays the role of Planck constant. As application of the method we consider the Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well trap. The ground state of positive mass particle corresponds to the mean-field fixed point of lower energy, while that of negative mass to the excited fixed point. In the case of attractive BEC above the threshold for symmetry breaking, the ground state is a cat state and we relate this fact to the double-well shape of the quantum potential for the positive mass quantum particle. The tunneling energy splitting between the local Fock states of the cat state is shown to be extremely small for the nonlinearity parameter just above the critical value and exponentially decreasing with the number of atoms. In the repulsive case, the phase locked (πππ-phase) macroscopic quantum self-trapping of BEC is related to the double-well structure of the potential for the negative mass quantum particle. We also analyze the running phase macroscopic quantum self-trapping state and show that it is subject to quantum collapses and revivals. Moreover, the quantum dynamics just before the first collapse of the running phase shows exponential growth of dispersion of the quantum phase distribution which may explain the growth of the phase fluctuations seen in the experiment on the macroscopic quantum self-trapping.
We consider a Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well potential undergoing a dynamical transition from the regime of Josephson oscillations to the regime of self-trapping. We analyze the statistical properties of the ground state (or the highest excited state) of the Hamiltonian in these two regimes for attractive (repulsive) interactions. We demonstrate that it is impossible to describe the transition within the mean-field theory. In contrast, the transition proceeds through a strongly correlated delocalized state, with large quantum fluctuations, and spontaneous breaking of the symmetry.
The properties of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well potential are investigated through a two-mode analysis. An analytic solution for the semiclassical tunnelling and self-trapping dynamics is compared with numerical simulations of the quantum dynamics, which exhibit collapses and revivals for a closed system. A continuous non-destructive measurement technique to monitor the Josephson tunnelling oscillations is presented, in which the condensate in one well dispersively shifts the phase of a coherent probe beam in proportion to atom-number. The evolution of the resulting homodyne photocurrent and Bloch Q distributions shows that oscillations develop even when the initial state possesses phase symmetry. The conditional dynamics of the condensate which result from measurement back-action also appear in certain semiclassical formulations. The homodyne measurement technique is incorporated into a proposed weak-force detector. A maximally entangled initial state, which is the ground state for a double condensate with strong attractive atomic interactions, enables a high-precision measurement. The dynamics of quantum many-body multimode systems of interacting bosons are simulated using phase-space methods. The use of the Wigner technique predicts novel noise effects in fibre solitons. The positive-P representation is used to simulate the formation of mesoscopic Bose-Einstein condensates via evaporative cooling in three dimensional atom traps. The results indicate highly non-classical behaviour near the critical point, and provide evidence for the spontaneous formation of vortices. Comparisons with corresponding mean-field calculations reveal large differences between the semiclassical and fully quantum results. Finally, the possibility of future progress with alternative phase-space methods is considered.
We consider Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in situations where the density undergoes a symmetry breaking, either in real space or in momentum space. This occurs for a suitable number of condensed atoms in a double well potential, obtained in real space for a BEC of lithium atoms by adding a standing wave light field to the trap potential, or in momentum space for rubidium atoms by Raman coupling two BECs in different magnetic states with two tilted light fields. Evidence of bistability results from the solution of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. By second quantization, we show that the classical bistable situation is in fact a Schrödinger cat (SC) and we evaluate the macroscopic quantum coherence between the two SC states.
Self-trapping of Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) in double-well trap is investigated. Two kinds of self-trapping are discussed through phase space analysis in the mean-field approximation: 1) The number of atoms oscillates near an equilibrium point in the phase space, while relative phase increases monotonously with time (running-phase); 2) Both the number of particles and the relative phase oscillate near an equilibrium point in the phase space. In particular, we investigate how an external periodic filed influence the self-trapping. It is found that the external periodic field may dramatically modulate the critical points at which the transition to self-trapping occurs. With this, we can observe self-trapping phenomenon in a dilute Bose-Einstein condensate with a very weak interaction as well. Finally, the effect of many-body quantum fluctuation on self-trapping is also studied. We also discuss how to observe the self-trapping phenomenon with present experimental techniques.
Abstract Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) is a paradigmatic representative of macroscopic quantum states. 39 K atoms serve as an ideal system for realizing a nearly ideal BEC owing to their ultra-small background scattering length. This study further investigates the nonlinear dynamics of 39 K BEC confined in a double-well potential under attractive interactions. In this work, a Gaussian barrier is integrated with a double-well potential, and we innovatively adopt a transient dynamics approach to construct a highly non-equilibrium initial state where all atoms are confined to the left well. We track the full evolutionary process of the system from non-equilibrium excitation to stable self-trapping, elucidating wave function contraction and energy conversion. Under high barrier height conditions, tunneling is substantially suppressed: atoms localize in a single well, the longitudinal position expectation value remains constant, and the phase difference is locked, leading to the formation of a macroscopic quantum self-trapping state. Radial oscillations exhibit reduced amplitude and a slower evolution rate owing to density homogenization. A smooth, fluctuation-free momentum density profile corresponds to the static localized regime of self-trapping. Coherence transitions from dynamic oscillation to static locking, and weak attractive interactions in 39 K atoms further prolong the coherence time. This study elucidates key microscopic mechanisms, including the nonlinear coupling mechanism of attractive interactions, the dynamic-static transition rules of coherence, and momentum density acting as a microscopic probe for tunneling and soliton dynamics, thereby providing a quantitative basis for the preparation of tunable quantum states.