Atomic population oscillations between two coupled Bose–Einstein condensates with time-dependent nonlinear interaction

Abstract

The atomic population oscillations between two Bose–Einstein condensates with time-dependent nonlinear interaction in a double-well potential are studied. We first analyse the stabilities of the system's steady-state solutions. And then in the perturbative regime, the Melnikov chaotic oscillation of atomic population imbalance is investigated and the Melnikov chaotic criterion is obtained. When the system is out of the perturbative regime, numerical calculations reveal that regulating the nonlinear parameter can lead the system to step into chaos via period doubling bifurcations. It is also numerically found that adjusting the nonlinear parameter and asymmetric trap potential can result in the running-phase macroscopic quantum self-trapping (MQST). In the presence of a weak asymmetric trap potential, there exists the parametric resonance in the system.