  Motivated by the recent experiment at ENS [ V. Bretin, S. Stock, Y. Seurin
and, J. Dalibard, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 92}, 050403 (2004)], we study a
rotating (non-)interacting atomic Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a
harmonic-plus-gaussian laser trap potential. By adjusting the amplitude of the
laser potential, one can make quadratic-plus-quartic potential,purely quartic
potential, and quartic-minus-quadratic potential. We show that an interacting
Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a harmonic-plus-gaussian laser trap breaks
the rotational symmetry of the Hamiltonian when rotational frequency is greater
than one-half of the lowest energy surface mode frequency. We also show that by
increasing the amplitude of the gaussian laser trap, a vortex appears in a
slowly rotating Bose-Einstein condensate. Moreover, one can also create a
vortex in non-interacting Bose-Einstein condensate confined in
harmonic-plus-gaussian laser potential.
