We study the propagation properties and light-matter interactions of the focused doughnut pulses, broadband, single-cycle electromagnetic perturbations of toroidal topology first described by Hellwarth and Nouchi in 1996. We show how focused doughnuts are reflected and refracted at planar metallic and vacuum-dielectric interfaces leading to complex distortions of the field structure. We also identify the conditions under which these toroidal pulses excite dominant dynamic toroidal dipoles in spherical dielectric particles.
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