1/2-anyons in small atomic Bose-Einstein condensates.

We discuss a way of creating, manipulating, and detecting anyons in rotating Bose-Einstein condensates consisting of a small number of atoms. By achieving a quasidegeneracy in the atomic motional states we drive the system into a 1/2-Laughlin state for fractional quantum Hall bosons. Localized 1/2-quasiholes can be created by focusing lasers at the desired positions. We show how to manipulate these quasiholes in order to probe directly their 1/2-statistics.