Topological States of Light in Turbulent Environments

Topological states of light, defined by singular structures that trace three-dimensional vortex lines and knots, are predicted to exhibit robustness under continuous deformations. Their stability in realistic turbulent environments, however, remains an open question. We investigate the evolution of singular optical fields propagating through atmospheric turbulence using complementary numerical simulations and controlled experiments, demonstrating quantitative agreement. Extending the study to knotted fields, we analyze their behavior as turbulence strength increases. Weak turbulence largely preserves the original topology, while stronger perturbations can modify the knot type, with the three-dimensional singularity lines still retaining the overall shape of the initial configuration.