Inverse population transfer of the repulsive Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well trap: strong interaction-induced support

An inverse population transfer of the repulsive Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a weakly bound double-well trap is explored within the 3D time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation. The model avoids numerous common approximations (two-mode treatment, time-space factorization, etc) and closely follows the conditions of Heidelberg experiments, thus providing a realistic description of BEC dynamics. The transfer is driven by a time-dependent shift of a barrier separating the left and right wells. It is shown that completeness and robustness of the process considerably depend on the amplitude and time profile of the shift velocity. Soft profiles provide the most robust inversion. The repulsive interaction substantially supports the transfer making it possible i) in a wide velocity interval and ii) three orders of magnitude faster than in the ideal BEC.