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The polarization of light can exhibit unusual features when singular opticalbeams are involved. In 3-dimensional polarized random media the polarizationorientation around singularities describe 1/2 or 3/2 M\"obius strips. It hasbeen predicted that if singular beams intersect non-collinearly in free space,the polarization ellipse rotates forming many-turn M\"obius strips or twistedribbons along closed loops around a central singularity. These polarizationfeatures are important because polarization is an aspect of light that mediatestrong interactions with matter, with potential for new applications. Weexamined the non-collinear superposition of two unfocused paraxial light beamswhen one of them carried an optical vortex and the other one a uniform phasefront, both in orthogonal states of circular polarization. It is known thatthese superpositions in 2-dimensions produce space-variant patterns ofpolarization. Relying on the symmetry of the problem, we extracted the3-dimensional patterns from projective measurements, and confirmed theformation of many-turn M\"obius strips or twisted ribbons when the topologicalcharge of one of the component beams was odd or even, respectively. Themeasurements agree well with the modelings and confirmed that these types ofpatterns occur at macroscopic length scales and in ordinary superpositionsituations.

Multitwist M\"obius Strips and Twisted Ribbons in the Polarization of Paraxial Light Beams