Manipulating neutral particles in Bessel beams: from rings, through fixed helices to 3D traps

TL;DR

This paper explores how neutral, polarizable atoms can be manipulated using Bessel beams, revealing mechanisms for trapping, guiding, and creating 3D atomic traps through beam superposition and vorticity control.

Contribution

It introduces novel methods for controlling neutral particles with Bessel beams, including trapping in rings, guiding along helices, and forming 3D traps based on beam parameters.

Findings

Bessel rings can trap particles in the plane perpendicular to propagation.

Superposed beams guide particles along fixed helices.

Zero vorticity results in 3D ring traps for atoms.

Abstract

The motion of neutral, polarizable atoms (also called neutral particles in this work) in the field of the Bessel beam is considered. It is shown in the numerical way, that the Bessel rings, i.e., the regions of high energy concentration can trap particles of positive polarizability (atoms in red-detuned beams). This trapping occurs only in the plane perpendicular to the wave propagation, and the motion along the beam is unrestricted. When the beam is superposed with the plane wave of the same frequency propagating in the same direction, the particles are guided along helices, fixed in space. The shape of these helices depends on the parameters characterizing the electromagnetic fields but not on the initial state of guided particles. Depending on the vorticity of the Bessel beam, these helices can be made left or right-handed. In the special case of zero vorticity, the helices get degenerated to the true, three-dimensional rings, which can serve as $3D$ traps. The emerging structure of potential valleys can be applied to parallel guidance or capture several independent atoms, each in its own trap.