Propagation dynamics of off-axis polarization singularities embedded within autofocusing Airy beams

We theoretically construct vectorial optical fields (VOFs) embedded with off-axis polarization singularities (PSs) using autofocusing Airy beams as orthogonal components. The focal intensity profiles of the composite VOFs and propagation dynamics of the embedded PSs are investigated. Our study reveals that isolated, simple, low-order PSs maintain their topological morphologies while undergoing rotational motion during propagation, whereas high-order PSs or low-order PSs resulting from the superposition of high-order optical vortices (OVs) split into stable, low-order PS-coupled configurations due to the spin–orbit interaction (SOI). For multiple PSs, we discover that interaction between them is significantly influenced by their off-axis positions and initial beam parameters, whereby collision, fusion, annihilation, and revival between them can be realized in a controlled manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate that low-order PS-coupled configurations exhibit remarkable propagation stability and self-recovery properties. These findings offer insights into light–matter interactions mediated by beam engineering and singularity manipulation, with potential applications in microscopic manipulation and information processing systems.