Interfering Bessel beams for optical micromanipulation

Abstract
We examine the properties of interfering high-order Bessel beams. We implement an experimental setup that allows us to realize these interferograms, using interfering Laguerre–Gaussian beams and an axicon. We demonstrate the use of such beams for controlled rotation of microscopic particles in optical tweezers and rotators. The self-healing properties of interfering Bessel beams allow the simultaneous manipulation and rotation of particles in spatially separated sample cells.