Spatio-temporal vortices: properties, generation and recording

The properties of a novel type of dislocations, called spatio-temporal vortices, are discussed. We propose to registrate them making dynamic interferogram of signal waves. Methods of their generation are suggested as well. It is illustrated that a spatio-temporal dislocation appears due to interaction of two Gauss-Laguerre pulsed beams with half-Pi phase shift. We show that superposition of two non-complanar phase modulated beams gives birth to the train of spatio-temporal vortices, which are periodical in space or time. The dynamics of a spatio-temporal vortex-soliton in defocusing Kerr-like medium is considered.