We investigate the coherence dynamics of a two-mode Bose-Einstein condensate coupled with the environment in the mean-field approximation. We give an analytical result of the time-average coherence in the absence of system-environment coupling, and find that the time-average coherence attains its maximum value at the critical point which corresponds to the boundary between the self-trapping regime and the Josephson oscillation regime. The effect of noise on dynamical coherence is also considered by analyzing the couplings of the condensate to the environment. With the first kind of coupling, the coherence finally stabilizes at a fixed value. Meanwhile, we show that the presence of the noise can even enhance the coherence for some particular interaction. With the second kind of coupling as collisional dephasing, the noise leads a sudden transition of the coherence which then subjects to an exponential decay.

• Received 29 January 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.88.063642