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 are degenerated to the true, three-dimensional rings, which can serve as three-dimensional traps. The emerging structure of potential valleys can be applied to parallel guidance or capture several independent atoms, each in its own trap.

• Received 26 September 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.100.063412