Interference Effects between Three Coupled Bose-Einstein Condensates

Abstract

We study the interference effects between three weakly linked trapped Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) as a generalization of the two-component condensates. Three coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equations (GPE) are used to describe the dynamics of the system. The nonsinusoidal oscillation is found as a generalization of the Josephson effect in superconductivity. The self-trapped effects are also predicted in three coupled BEC. Moreover, in general case, the phase diagrams of the system are closed only for some special parameters, which can be used to determine the interaction parameters between atoms in BEC.