  The problem of high-speed transport for cold atoms with minimal heating has
received considerable attention in theory and experiment. Much theoretical work
has focused on solutions of general problems, often assuming a harmonic
trapping potential or a 1D geometry. However in the case of optical conveyor
belts these assumptions are not always valid. Here we present experimental and
numerical studies of the effects of various motional parameters on heating and
retention of atoms transported in an optical conveyor. Our numerical model is
specialized to the geometry of a moving optical lattice and uses dephasing in
the density matrix formalism to account for effects of motion in the transverse
plane. We verify the model by a comparison with experimental measurements, and
use it to gain further insight into the relationship between the conveyor's
performance and the various parameters of the system.
