Bose-Einstein Condensates with $1/\mathit{r}$ Interatomic Attraction: Electromagnetically Induced “Gravity”

We show that particular configurations of intense off-resonant laser beams can give rise to an attractive $1/r$ interatomic potential between atoms located well within the laser wavelength. Such a “gravitational-like” interaction is shown to give stable Bose-Einstein condensates that are self-bound (without an additional trap) with unique scaling properties and measurably distinct signatures.