Splitting bright matter-wave solitons on narrow potential barriers: quantum to classical transition and applications to interferometry

Abstract

We study bright solitons in the Gross-Pitaevskii equation as they are split and recombined in a low energy system. We present new analytic results determining the general region in which a soliton may not be split on a potential barrier, and confirm these results numerically. Furthermore, we analyse the energetic regimes where quantum fluctuations in the initial center of mass position and momentum become influential on the outcome of soliton splitting and recombination events. We then use the results of this analysis to determine a parameter regime where soliton interferometry is practicable.