The closed-form expression for the free-space propagation of superimposed Laguerre–Gaussian beams beyond the paraxial approximation is derived, and the composite polarization singularities formed by the transverse and longitudinal electric-field components are studied in detail. It is shown that there exist composite C-points and L-lines in vector nonparaxial fields. By suitably varying a control parameter, such as the off-axis distance, relative phase, or amplitude ratio, the motion, creation, and annihilation of composite C-points may appear, and in the process the sum of topological charge remains unchanged. The shift, deformation, combination, and disappearance of composite L-lines may take place. The topological relationship holds true. The results are compared with the previous work.

On the basis of the vector Rayleigh–Sommerfeld diffraction integrals, the analytical expression for Gaussian vortex beams diffracted at a half-plane screen beyond the paraxial approximation is derived and used to study the polarization singularities formed by the transverse and longitudinal electric field components in the diffracted field. It is shown that there exist C-points and L-lines that depend on the off-axis parameters in the x and y directions, waist width, wavelength, and topological charge of diffracted Gaussian vortex beams, as well as on the position parameter. By a suitable variation of the off-axis and position parameters, the creation, motion, and annihilation of polarization singularities may take place, and the topological relationship holds true. Therefore, the nonparaxial beam diffraction and propagation provide a method for generating polarization singularities.

The analytical far-field expressions for the TE and TM terms and energy flux distributions in two off-axis superimposed nonparaxial Laguerre–Gaussian beams with azimuthal and radial indices $l_1=-l_2=+1$, $p_1=p_2=0$ are derived and used to study the far-field properties including phase singularities and energy flux distributions of the resulting beam, where our main attention focuses on the dependence of phase singularities on the controlling parameters such as the off-axis distance, relative phase, amplitude ratio, and waist widths of superimposed beams, and the symmetry property of edge dislocations and energy flux distributions. The results are interpreted and compared with previous work.

Based on the vector Fresnel diffraction integrals, analytical expressions for the electric and magnetic components of first-order Laguerre–Gaussian beams diffracted at a half-plane screen are derived and used to study the electric and magnetic polarization singularities in the diffraction field for both two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) cases. It is shown that there exist 2D and 3D electric and magnetic polarization singularities in the diffraction field, which do not coincide each other in general. By suitably varying the waist width ratio, off-axis displacement parameter, amplitude ratio, or propagation distance, the motion, pair-creation, and annihilation of circular polarization singularities, and the motion of linear polarization singularities take place in 2D and 3D electric and magnetic fields. The $V$ point, at which two circular polarization singularities with the same topological charge but opposite handedness collide, appears in the 2D electric field under certain conditions in the diffraction field and free-space propagation. A comparison with the free-space propagation is also made.