2-DIMENSIONAL MOTION OF COLD ATOMS IN A NEAR-RESONANT ANNULAR LASER-BEAM - ARTIFICIAL 2-DIMENSIONAL MOLECULES

We develop the theory of the two-dimensional motion of cold atoms in a near-resonant annular laser beam. For a reddetuned field the laser be am provides an annular light shift potential and the atomic motion div ides into vibrational and rotational normal motions analogous to a two -dimensional molecule. In the ground vibrational state we obtain an at om optics realization of a two-dimensional rotator. We illustrate the novel physics which may be explored with this system by showing that g ravity acts analogously to a static electric field applied to a charge d rotator.