Generation of microscale current loops, atom rings, and cubic clusters using twisted optical molasses

We propose a scheme for a viable and highly flexible all-optical atomic cooling and trapping using twisted light. In particular, we explain how one-dimensional twisted optical molasses should lead to a microscale atomic ring or a picoampere ionic current. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional molasses lead, respectively, to the creation of atom or ion loops and discrete atom clusters positioned at the eight corners of a microcube. These features at the microscale should find applications in physics and in quantum information processing using optically trapped atoms and ions.