Mean-Field Dynamics of a Two-Mode Bose-Einstein Condensate Subject to Decoherence

We discuss the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates in a double-well potential subject to decoherence (or particle loss). Starting from the full many-body dynamics described by the master equation, an effective Gross-Pitaevskii-like equation is derived in the mean-field approximation. By numerically solving the GP equation, we find that macroscopic quantum self-trapping disappears for strong decoherence, while generalized self-trapping occurs under weak decoherence. The fixed points have been calculated, and we find that an abrupt change from elliptic to an attractor and a repeller occurs, reflecting the metastable behavior of the system around these points.