Topological Charge of Optical Vortices

This book is devoted to the consideration of unusual laser beams – vortex or singular beams. It contains many numerical examples, which clearly show how the phase of optical vortices changes during propagation in free space, and that the topological charge is preserved.

Topological Charge of Optical Vortices shows that the topological charge of an optical vortex is equal to the number of screw dislocations or the number of phase singularities in the beam cross-section. A single approach is u...