Topology of Knotted Optical Vortices

Abstract

Optical vortices as topological objects exist ubiquitously in nature. In this paper, by making use of the $\phi$-mapping topological current theory, we investigate the topology in the closed and knotted optical vortices. The topological inner structure of the optical vortices are obtained, and the linking of the knotted optical vortices is also given.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, accepted by Commun. Theor. Phys. (Beijing, P. R. China