Periodic instanton method and macroscopic quantum tunneling between two weakly-linked Bose-Einstein condensates

摘要

A new method is used to investigate the tunneling between two weakly-linkedBose-Einstein condensates confined in double-well potential traps. Thenonlinear interaction between the atoms in each well contributes to a finitechemical potential, which, with consideration of periodic instantons, leads toa remarkably high tunneling frequency. This result can be used to interpret thenewly found Macroscopic Quantum Self Trapping (MQST) effect. Also a new kind offirst-order crossover between different regions is predicted.