Topological phase for spin-orbit transformations on a laser beam.

We investigate the topological phase associated with the double connectedness of the SO(3) representation in terms of maximally entangled states. An experimental demonstration is provided in the context of polarization and spatial mode transformations of a laser beam carrying orbital angular momentum. The topological phase is evidenced through interferometric measurements, and a quantitative relationship between the concurrence and the fringes visibility is derived. Both the quantum and the classical regimes were investigated.