Michael Berry and Mark Dennis
Optical phase vortices and polarization singularities
The lectures will cover the following topics (not necessarily in the
same order): History of phase and polarization singularities in wave
physics, going back several centuries; basic geometry of vortex and
singular polarization lines in space; construction of knotted linked and
braided nodal lines in solutions of wave equations; statistics of
singularities in random waves; singularities in crystal optics; 'colours
of dark light' near white-light vortices; fractional spiral phase plate
illustrating vortex choreography; conical diffraction; and quantum
vacuum phenomena in the core of an optical vortex.