Realization of a single Josephson junction for Bose-Einstein condensates

TL;DR

This paper reports the creation of a double-well potential for Bose-Einstein condensates, enabling the study of Josephson oscillations and self-trapping, with experimental results aligning well with theoretical models.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental setup for Bose-Einstein condensates that allows detailed investigation of Josephson phenomena and validates the results with an extended two-mode model.

Findings

Successful realization of a double-well potential for BECs

Observation of Josephson oscillations and self-trapping

Quantitative agreement between experiment and theory

Abstract

We report on the realization of a double-well potential for Rubidium-87 Bose-Einstein condensates. The experimental setup allows the investigation of two different dynamical phenomena known for this system - Josephson oscillations and self-trapping. We give a detailed discussion of the experimental setup and the methods used for calibrating the relevant parameters. We compare our experimental findings with the predictions of an extended two-mode model and find quantitative agreement.