  When a single two-level atom interacts with a pair of Laguerre-Gaussian beams
with opposite helicity, this leads to an efficient exchange of angular momentum
between the light field and the atom. When the radial motion is trapped by an
additional potential, the wave function of a single localized atom can be split
into components that rotate in opposite direction. This suggests a novel scheme
for atom interferometry without mirror pulses. Also atoms in this configuration
can be bound into a circular lattice.
