Number squeezing, quantum fluctuations, and oscillations in mesoscopic Bose Josephson junctions

Abstract

We use a two-mode Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian to determine the ground state and dynamical evolution for a Bose Josephson junction realized by an ultracold Bose gas in a double-well trap. We identify Mott-like lobes where number fluctuations are suppressed and the interference fringes in the momentum distribution are strongly reduced. Different from superconducting Josephson junctions, the lobes size increases at increasing wells imbalance. Upon a sudden rise of the barrier between the two wells, an initially phase-coherent state evolves into a coherent superposition of phase states, leading to destructive interference in the time-dependent momentum distribution.