Dynamics of twin-condensate configurations in an open chain of three Bose-Einstein condensates

The dynamics of a mean-field model of three coupled condensates is studied for initial states characterized by twin condensates. Condensates occupy an open three-well chain, where the central potential-well depth is an independent parameter. Despite its diversity from the closed-chain symmetric model, such a model is shown to have an integrable regime involving a predictable evolution for twin-condensate initial states. After establishing the dependence of the phase-space topology on the model parameters, the latter are shown to allow control of various macroscopic effects, such as rapid population inversions, pulsed phase changes, self-trapping, and long-duration periodic oscillations. Finally, based on quantizing the system in terms of suitable “microscopic” canonical variables, the stability conditions of the integrable regime are related to the su(1,1) structure of the Hamiltonian spectrum.