title: Optical ferris wheel for ultracold atoms.
abstract: We propose a versatile optical ring lattice suitable for trapping cold and quantum degenerate atomic samples. We demonstrate the realisation of intensity patterns from pairs of Laguerre-Gauss (exp(i??) modes with different ? indices. These patterns can be rotated by introducing a frequency shift between the modes. We can generate bright ring lattices for trapping atoms in red-detuned light, and dark ring lattices suitable for trapping atoms with minimal heating in the optical vortices of blue-detuned light. The lattice sites can be joined to form a uniform ring trap, making it ideal for studying persistent currents and the Mott insulator transition in a ring geometry.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Franke-Arnold
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Leach
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Padgett
authors: V E
authors: VE
authors: Lembessis
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Ellinas
authors: A J
authors: AJ
authors: Wright
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Girkin
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Ohberg
authors: A S
authors: AS
authors: Arnold