Niu, QianRaizen, Mark G.612245012008-08-282008-08-282005http://hdl.handle.net/2152/1540textIn this dissertation, we discuss the manipulation of ultracold atoms with optical fields. We show how a one-way barrier for ground state atoms may be constructed. Its use for phase space compression is analyzed. Using several ideas from solid-state physics, we reveal a number of novel phenomena in quantum transport of ultracold atoms in two-dimensional optical lattices. These include Berry phase, self-rotation, spin-orbit coupling, and discrete solitons. Finally, we analyze in detail an approach to extract a small and deterministic number of atoms from a trapped Bose condensed gas by the introduction of an optical quantum dot. We show how small numbers of atoms in microtraps can be used for quantum state engineering.electronicengCopyright is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the Libraries' web site by University Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works.Quantum opticsAtomsThesis3174442