Ultracold bosonic atoms in two-colour superlattices

The influence of disorder on ultracold atomic Bose gases in optical lattices is discussed in the framework of the one-dimensional Bose–Hubbard model. It is shown that simple periodic modulations of the well depths generate a rich phase diagram consisting of superfluid, Mott insulator, Bose glass (BG) and spatially localized phases. The detailed evolution of mean occupation numbers and number fluctuations as function of modulation amplitude and interaction strength is discussed. Finally, the signatures of the different phases, especially of the BG phase, in matter–wave interference experiments are investigated.