This paper studies in detail the interaction of two edge dislocations nested in a Gaussian beam propagating in free space. It shows that in free-space propagation the edge dislocations are unstable and vanish, and two noncanonical vortices with opposite topological charge take place when off-axis distances cl and c2 of two edge dislocations are nonzero, and the condition k2w08＋ 32c1c2（w02- 2C1C2）Z2 〉 0 is fulfilled （k-wave number, w0-waist width）. A noncanonical vortex appears when one off-axis distance is zero. However, one edge dislocation is stable when two edge dislocations are perpendicular and one off-axis distance is zero. Two perpendicular edge dislocations both with zero off-axis distance are also stable. The analytical results are illustrated by numerical examples.
This paper derives explicit expressions for the propagation of Gaussian beams carrying two vortices of equal charges m = ±1diffracted at a half-plane screen, which enables the study of the dynamic evolution of vortices in the diffraction field. It shows that there may be no vortices, a pair or several pairs of vortices of opposite charges m -=±, -1 in the diffraction field. Pair creation, annihilation and motion of vortices may appear upon propagation. The off-axis distance additionally affects the evolutionary behaviour. In the process the total topological charge is equal to zero, which is unequal to that of the vortex beam at the source plane. A comparison with the free-space propagation of two vortices of equal charges and a further extension are made.
