Macroscopic quantum self-trapping of a spin–orbit-coupled Bose–Einstein condensate in a double-well potential

Abstract

We investigate the macroscopic quantum self-trapping (MQST) phenomenon of a spin–orbit-coupled Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) in a double-well potential, emphasizing the critical behavior at the transition to MQST. We show that as the nonlinear parameter characterizing the atomic interaction increases, the spin–orbit-coupled BEC appears as MQST, manifesting an asymmetric distribution of the atom in two wells. Then, the effect of the initial condition on the critical behavior at the transition to MQST is given. Analytic expressions for the dependence of the transition parameters on the system parameters and the initial condition are derived, which are in agreement with our numerical simulations.