All Questions
5
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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 ...
2
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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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1
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1
answer
131
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Birefringence in uniaxial materials
In linear optics, when treating anisotropic uniaxial materials we get the frensel equation
this equation gives us two solution for n. My problem is that according to Snell's law, if I have two ...
- 1,734
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2
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What does the refractive index for e.g. alpha mean?
When I look for some materials like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barium_sulfate and want to extract the refractive index then there is written: (nD)=1.636 (alpha). And sometimes also for beta and ...
- 1,507
4
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170
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Why are birefringence materials so rare?
By symmetry, most crystals will show birefringence. But the effect is very minute. So the question is actually, why is the birefrigence effect in most low-symmetry materials so small?
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