title: Analysis of a Bose-Einstein condensate double-well atom interferometer.
abstract: Motivated by an open theoretical question in Bose-Einstein condensate atom interferometry, we introduce a novel computational method to describe the condensate order parameter in the presence of a central barrier. We are able to follow the full dynamics of the system during the raising of a barrier, from a single macroscopically occupied ground state to a state where imaging shows a split density and, finally, to the observation of a phase-controlled interference pattern. We are able to discriminate between a mean-field and a two-mode state via the Penrose-Onsager criterion. By simulating the first such experiment, where in spite of the observed splitting of the condensate density there is never more than a single macroscopically occupied state, we provide a definitive interpretation of these systems as a novel many-body form of Young's double-slit experiment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1560, USA. dfaust@phys.washington.edu
authors.forename: Douglas K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Faust
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Reinhardt