Lexic.us

Definition of Birefringence

1. Noun. Splitting a ray into two parallel rays polarized perpendicularly.

Definition of Birefringence

1. Noun. (physics) the splitting of a ray of light into two parallel rays of perpendicular polarization by passage through an optically anisotropic medium ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Birefringence

1. [n -S]

Medical Definition of Birefringence

1. Optical property of a material in which the refractive index is different for light polarized in one plane compared to the orthogonal plane. May arise from molecular organisation of the material (form birefringence.), alignment of molecules due to tension (stress birefringence.) or alignment of rod like particles in flow (flow birefringence). With crossed Nicoll prisms a birefringent material appears bright against a dark background. (19 Jan 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Birefringence

Literary usage of Birefringence

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Manual of Petrographic Methods by Albert Johannsen (1918)
"Just as is the refractive index, so also is the value for the maxi- rium birefringence characteristic for any mineral. It is expressed in positive uniaxial ..."

2. The Microscopic Determination of the Nonopaque Minerals by Esper Signius Larsen (1921)
"DISTRIBUTION OF MINERALS WITH REGARD TO INDEX OF REFRACTION AND birefringence. The distribution of the minerals with regard to their intermediate index of ..."

3. The Methods of Petrographic-microscopic Research, Their Relative Accuracy by Frederic Eugene Wright (1911)
"birefringence. The standard methods for the determination of birefringence involve the use either of the Babinet* compensator, ..."

4. Mineralogy: An Introduction to the Scientific Study of Minerals by Sir Henry A Miers, Henry A[lexander] Miers (1902)
"The Refractive Power and the birefringence. — The refractive power of a crystal may often be determined by employing two natural faces as a refracting prism ..."

5. Measurements for Competitiveness in Electronics (1994)
"birefringence Birefringent materials present a different index of refraction to each member of a pair of polarization components of a lightwave. ..."

6. A Text-book of Mineralogy: With an Extended Treatise on Crystallography and by Edward Salisbury Dana, William Ebenezer Ford (1922)
"If the first two factors are known the birefringence can be estimated by noting the ... The strength of the birefringence is expressed along the top and ..."

7. Technical Digest edited by G. W. Day, D. L. Franzen, P. A. Williams (1999)
"Introduction Polarisation Mode Dispersion (PMD) is a statistical quantity describing the effects of the distributed birefringence in the distortion of a ..."

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