  We propose a scheme for the creation of skyrmions (coreless vortices) in a
Bose-Einstein condensate with hyperfine spin F=1. In this scheme, four
traveling-wave laser beams, with Gaussian or Laguerre-Gaussian transverse
profiles, induce Raman transitions with an anomalous dependence on the laser
polarization, thereby generating the optical potential required for producing
skyrmions.
