Journal of Optics B Quantum and Semiclassical Optics
Effects of atomic interactions on the resonant tunnelling of sodium condensates
Davide Embriaco, Maria Luisa Chiofalo, M. Artoni, Giuseppe Carlo La Rocca
Abstract
We investigate the influence of atomic interactions on the tunnelling of sodium condensates across a spatially oscillating optical barrier. In the limit of very fast barrier oscillations, in which resonant tunnelling via a metastable state takes place, the interactions affect the position and lineshape of the transmission peak. We anticipate that the possibility of modulating the interactions in a tunnelling condensate can be exploited to achieve nonlinear effects such as optical limiting and bistability.