EPL, 82 (2008) 40006
DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/82/40006

Control of atomic currents using a quantum stirring device

M. Hiller^{1, 2, 3}, T. Kottos^{1, 2} and D. Cohen<sup>4

1</sup>  Department of Physics, Wesleyan University - Middletown, CT 06459, USA
²  MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organization - Bunsenstraße 10, D-37073 Göttingen, Germany, EU
³  Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität - Hermann-Herder-Str. 3, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany, EU
⁴  Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University - Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel

mhiller@nld.ds.mpg.de

received 9 January 2008; accepted in final form 6 April 2008; published May 2008
published online 14 May 2008

Abstract
We propose a BEC stirring device which can be regarded as the incorporation of a quantum pump into a closed circuit: it produces a DC circulating current in response to a cyclic adiabatic change of two control parameters of an optical trap. We demonstrate the feasibility of this concept and point out that such device can be utilized in order to probe the interatomic interactions.

PACS
03.65.-w - Quantum mechanics.
03.65.Vf - Phases: geometric; dynamic or topological.
05.30.Jp - Boson systems.

© EPLA 2008