Toroidal vortices of light

Toroidal vortices are whirling disturbances rotating about a ring-shaped core while advancing in the direction normal to ring orifice. commonly found nature and being studied wide range of disciplines. Here we report experimental observation photonic toroidal vortex as new solution Maxwell's equations with use conformal mapping. The helical phase twists around closed loop leading an azimuthal local orbital angular momentum density. preparation such intriguing light field may offer insights extending other disciplines find important applications light-matter interaction, optical manipulation, symmetry topology, quantum information.