  We propose a set-up to create and detect the atomic counterpart of snake
state trajectories which occur at the interface where the magnetic field
reverses direction. Such a magnetic field is generated by coupling two
counter-propagating modes of a ring cavity to a two-level atom. The spatial
distribution and the strength of the induced magnetic field are controlled by
the transverse mode profile of the cavity modes and the number of photons in
the two modes, respectively. By analysing the atomic motion in such a magnetic
field while including the cavity back-action, we find that the atom follows
snake state trajectories which can be non-destructively detected and
reconstructed from the phase and the intensity of the light field leaking from
the cavity. We finally show that the system parameters can be tuned to modify
the transport properties of the snake states and even amplify the effect of
cavity feedback which can completely alter their topology.
