  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.
