Interaction between optical phase dislocations of different dimensionality

Summary form only given. We study experimentally and theoretically the interaction between two optical phase front dislocations of different dimensionality-a vortex (2D object) and an edge dislocation (1D object)-nested in a smooth Gaussian beam by its propagation in a linear medium. A single-charge vortex in a Gaussian was generated using an on-axis computer-generated spiral zone plate. An edge phase dislocation was created by a /spl pi/-phase jump imposed across the beam by a thin glass plate. To generate the both phase dislocations in the Gaussian beam, the thin glass plate was introduced in the beam just before the computer-generated spiral zone plate.