  We discuss atomic lattice excitons (ALEs), bound particle-hole pairs formed
by fermionic atoms in two bands of an optical lattice. Such a system provides a
clean setup to study fundamental properties of excitons, ranging from
condensation to exciton crystals (which appear for a large effective mass ratio
between particles and holes). Using both mean-field treatments and 1D numerical
computation, we discuss the properities of ALEs under varying conditions, and
discuss in particular their preparation and measurement.
