We use the bosonization approach to investigate quantum phases of boson-fermion mixtures (BFM) of atoms confined to one dimension by an anisotropic optical lattice. For a BFM with a single species of fermions we find a charge-density wave phase, a fermion pairing phase, and a phase separation regime. We also obtain the rich phase diagram of a BFM with two species of fermions. We demonstrate that these phase diagrams can be understood in terms of polarons, i.e., atoms “dressed” by screening clouds of the other atom species. Techniques to detect the resulting quantum phases are discussed.

• Received 22 January 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.120404