Optical wavefront dislocations and their properties

We analyze screw, edge and mixed screw-edge dislocations in monochromatic light waves. Methods for the experimental determination of the topological charge value and helicity of screw dislocations are elaborated. By use of computer-synthesized binary gratings waves with edge and mixed screw-edge dislocations were obtained and studied experimentally. The transformation of a mixed screw-edge dislocation into a single screw dislocation was observed and explained.