  We show how density dependent gauge potentials can be induced in dilute gases
of ultracold atoms using light-matter interactions. We study the effect of the
resulting interacting gauge theory and show how it gives rise to novel
topological states in the ultracold gas. We find in particular that the onset
of persistent currents in a ring geometry is governed by a critical number of
particles. The density-dependent gauge potential is also found to support
chiral solitons in a quasi-one-dimensional ultracold Bose gas.
