Vortex optics

In this review the author presents the major works, that according to his opinion have played a historically important part in the formation and development of one of the most mysterious sections of modern optics - vortex (or singular) optics. Singular optics studies the behavior of light in the areas where there is no light - at zeros of intensity. An optical vortex that has a topological charge and an orbital angular momentum propagates in space in such a way that the energy flow corkscrews in it. Such beams have the points of phase ambiguity (singularity) where the intensity is zero (intensity zeros). The distance between two intensity zeros can be arbitrarily small and it is not limited by the diffraction limit. The topological charge of optical vortices is the most stable characteristic, which is preserved during amplitude and simple phase distortions of the beam. The research of the scientific school of academician of RAS V.A. Soifer made a significant contribution to the formation and development of singular optics.