Laser cooling and trapping of particles are undoubtedly among the major advances in atomic physics and quantum optics over the last three decades. In particular, light from laser beams can be used to create "potential landscapes" that control the movement of previously cooled atoms. Atoms can remain confined in these cages of light for long periods of time, and their dynamics take on a wide variety of forms, depending on the nature of the landscape created.
A particularly interesting type of confinement is that achieved by a standing light wave, which creates a periodic potential known as an "optical lattice". The movement of atoms in an optical lattice presents a profound analogy with that of electrons in a crystal, making it an important tool for the program of quantum simulation of condensed matter phenomena using cold atoms.
This year's lecture is devoted to presenting the basic principles governing the movement of atoms in these optical lattices. We will also describe a number of recent experiments exploiting this very particular dynamic. We'll be looking at both metrology and condensed matter phenomena. The lecture will be divided into six chapters.