Atomtronics

The progress achieved in micro-fabricating potential for cold atoms has defined a new field in quantum technology - Atomtronics - where a variety of 'atom circuits' of very different spatial shapes and depth have been devised for atom manipulation, with a precision that nowadays is approaching that of lithographic techniques. Atomtronic setups are characterized by enhanced flexibility and control of the fundamental mechanisms underlying their functionalities and by the reduced decoherence rate that is typical of cold-atom systems. Such an approach is expected to be instrumental for the realization of quantum devices of a radically new type and, at the same time, to enlarge the scope of cold atom quantum simulators. In this article we give a short overview of the field and draw a roadmap for potential future directions.