Optical topologies in the form of Skyrmions have attracted significant interest of late, where their integer Skyrmion number has been shown to be robust to complex media. Here we create fractional Skyrmions with noninteger topological numbers by structuring light as a vectorial superposition of fractional (noninteger) orbital angular momentum. We reveal a nonlinear evolution of the skyrmion number with abrupt transitions toward the nearest integer values. Furthermore, during propagation, the topological transition occurs slightly before the half-integer values, indicating their instability, while the topology becomes stable as it approaches integer values. Our experimental demonstration agrees well with simulations, opening a spectrum of optical topologies to explore, with exciting possibilities in optical communication and sensing.

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• Beam optics