Questions tagged [birefringence]
The birefringence tag has no usage guidance.
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Double refraction - Direction of propagation of extraordinary wave inside the birefringent medium
I am reading Optics by Ajoy Ghatak, in which the author explains the phenomenon of double refraction in a calcite crystal using Huygens' principle. My query is in the analysis of the case of normal ...
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"Extraordinary polarization" in a birefringent optical medium
In Nonlinear Optics by R. W. Boyd, I came across the following sentences about light polarization in an uniaxial birefringent medium:
Light polarized perpendicular to the plane containing the ...
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Ray separation in waveplates
In a birefringent medium, the ordinary and extraordinary rays have different Pointing-vector directions and, therefore, different propagation directions, since the direction of the Poyting-vector ...
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What is the meaning of a fiber cutoff wavelength when given as a range?
Many polarization maintaining fibers (for example Corning PM 1550) have a cutoff wavelength specified as a range (for example 1300-1440nm). What is the meaning of this range from the physics point of ...
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Skylight reflection shows birefringence patterns
I noticed that the skylight where I work looked white to me, but its reflection from the tiles below showed a colorful pattern. See the images below, and also a video that shows this effect from ...
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Need help with experimental setup to measure Birefringence [closed]
First message here, sorry if this is scrappy:
I am looking to measure the birefringence of multiple crystalline structures (calcite, ice, etc), and came across this methodology:
Shine a laser at ...
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In a uniaxial crystal, what determines the optical axis, extraordinary axis, and ordinary axis?
In a uniaxial crystal there is an optic axis, an extraordinary axis, and an ordinary axis. The optic axis is not the direction in which we plan to propagate light. The light is propagating in a ...
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Why do I see a rainbow when I look at Insulfilm with my sunglasses?
I'm wearing glasses with a sunglass clip-on. This means I have my regular glasses and, on top of them, I have a second pair of lenses that work as sunglasses and attach to my regular glasses using ...
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Unexpected laser pattern through calcite crystal
I've bought a calcite crystal and tried to see birefringence by shining a laser through it.
I get a split spot in the centre of a sixfold pattern
The hexagonal pattern resembles a diffraction pattern,...
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Birefringince in 2D array of masses and springs
Assume a 2D square array of masses with mass $m$ connected by springs with constant $\kappa$. Then the equation of motion for small perturbations in the plane of the array to the mass at $(l,n)$ is
$$
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Why do birefringence materials have 2 refractive indices?
Why do birefringence materials have 2 refractive indices?
In other words, what causes the material to have 2 refractive indices?
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Rotation of the image formed by the extraordinary ray upon rotating the calcite crystal
Let a black spot is drawn on a piece of white paper. If we place a transparent calcite crystal on top of the paper, we observe two non-coincident images of the black spot. This is due to the ...
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Orienting birefringent crystal the right way in an interferometer
I'm working in a lab that involves transforming the polarization state of one beam of light in an interferometer via a Barium Borate (BBO) birefringent crystal. As the polarization state is altered ...
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What can be the possible causes for variation in stress-induced birefringence in an isotropic material?
Birefringence is the phenomenon of a material having a refractive index that depends on the polarization and propagation direction of light. When an unpolarized light passes through such a material, ...
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Refractive Index Ellipsoid for Circular Birefringence Materials
When light travels through an anisotropic medium, its refraction may depend on both its polarization and propagation. Such materials may be classified in terms of their (Linear) Birefringence as ...
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