Azimuthons: Spatially modulated vortex solitons

We introduce a novel class of spatially localized self-trapped ringlike singular optical beams in nonlinear media, the so-called azimuthons, which appear due to a continuous azimuthal deformation of vortex solitons. We demonstrate that the azimuthons are characterized by two independent integer indices, the topological charge m and the number N of the intensity peaks along the ring. Each soliton family includes azimuthons with negative, positive, and zero angular velocity.