Optical lattice implementation scheme of a bosonic topological model with fermionic atoms

We present a scheme to implement a Fermi-Hubbard-like model in ultracold atoms in optical lattices and analyze the topological features of its ground state. In particular, we show that the ground state for appropriate parameters has a large overlap with a lattice version of the bosonic Laughlin state at filling factor one half. The scheme utilizes laser assisted and normal tunnelling in a checkerboard optical lattice. The requirements on temperature, interactions, and hopping strengths are similar to those needed to observe the N\'eel antiferromagnetic ordering in the standard Fermi-Hubbard model in the Mott insulating regime.