Controlling chaotic spin-motion entanglement of ultracold atoms via spin-orbit coupling

We study the spatially chaoticity-dependent spin-motion entanglement of a spin-orbit (SO) coupled Bose-Einstein condensate with a source of ultracold atoms held in an optical superlattice. In the case of phase synchronization, we analytically demonstrate that (a) the SO coupling (SOC) leads to the generation of spin-motion entanglement; (b) the area of the high-chaoticity parameter region inversely relates to the SOC strength which renormalizes the chemical potential; and (c) the high-chaoticity is associated with the lower chemical potential and the larger ratio of the short-lattice depth to the longer-lattice depth. Then, we numerically generate the Poincaré sections to pinpoint that the chaos probability is enhanced with the decrease in the SOC strength and/or the spin-dependent current components. The existence of chaos is confirmed by computing the corresponding largest Lyapunov exponents. For an appropriate lattice depth ratio, the complete stop of one of (or both) the current components is related to the full chaoticity. The results mean that the weak SOC and/or the small current components can enhance the chaoticity. Based on the insensitivity of chaos probability to initial conditions, we propose a feasible scheme to manipulate the ensemble of chaotic spin-motion entangled states, which may be useful in coherent atom optics with chaotic atom transport.