Experimental and phenomenological aspects of circular birefringence and related properties in transparent crystals∗

Here, we review the history, theory, measurement technique and experimental results on gyrotropic phenomena including optical rotation (optical activity), electrogyration, the Faraday effect and magneto-electrogyration in transparent crystals, including examples of structural phase transitions. Relations to the absolute structure are discussed and model calculations are performed on the basis of electronic polarizability and crystal structure. ∗ Part of this article was written during employment at the Institute for Crystallography, University of Cologne, Germany and the Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, UK. 0034-4885/00/101575+66$90.00 © 2000 IOP Publishing Ltd 1575