Switching and Self-Trapping of Two Coupled Bose–Einstein Condensates in Trap Potentials with a Localized Impurity

Abstract

Stationary states of two coupled Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in trap potentials with a localized impurity are obtained by the variational approach, and effects of the impurity on the stationary states and the characteristics of the two coupled BECs are discussed by performing a standard linear stability analysis. The switching and self-trapping of the two coupled BECs strictly depends on the impurity, and the critical impurity strength value are given for initial in-phase and out-of-phase cases. Finally, the atom population transferring ratio of the two coupled BECs is introduced, and the Josephson oscillations of the population transfer are discussed as time changes.