Direct Observation of Tunneling and Nonlinear Self-Trapping in a Single Bosonic Josephson Junction

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.010402· OSTI ID:20696410

Albiez, Michael; Gati, Rudolf; Foelling, Jonas; Hunsmann, Stefan; Oberthaler, Markus K ^[1]; Cristiani, Matteo ^[2]

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1. Kirchhoff-Institut fuer Physik, Universitaet Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany)
2. CNR-INFM, Dipartimento di Fisica E. Fermi, Universita di Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, I-56127 Pisa (Italy)

We report on the first realization of a single bosonic Josephson junction, implemented by two weakly linked Bose-Einstein condensates in a double-well potential. In order to fully investigate the nonlinear tunneling dynamics we measure the density distribution in situ and deduce the evolution of the relative phase between the two condensates from interference fringes. Our results verify the predicted nonlinear generalization of tunneling oscillations in superconducting and superfluid Josephson junctions. Additionally, we confirm a novel nonlinear effect known as macroscopic quantum self-trapping, which leads to the inhibition of large amplitude tunneling oscillations.

• OSTI ID: 20696410
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 95, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.010402; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATION
DENSITY
JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
OSCILLATIONS
SUPERFLUIDITY
TRAPPING
TUNNEL EFFECT