We present the results of the first gauge-origin independent calculations, carried out at Hartree-Fock level, of the molecular parameters that describe the electric-field-induced linear birefringence, also known as Buckingham birefringence. Focus is in particular on the temperature-independent contribution to the observable. We employ a recently developed analytical scheme for calculating frequ...

The magnetic-field-induced birefringence in wedged homeotropic ferronematic liquid crystals is studied. Theoretical results for small distortions are obtained in terms of the elastic continuum theory of liquid crystals. The results of birefringence measurements are in good agreement with the predictions of the theory.

Abstract—A new method for determining the distribution of birefringence and linear dichroism in optical polymer materials is presented. The method is based on the use of polarizationholographic diffraction grating that forms an orthogonal circular basis in the process of diffraction of probing laser beam on the grating. The intensities ratio of the orders of diffraction on this grating enables ...

Scanning laser polarimetry (SLP) was developed to provide objective assessment of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), a birefringent tissue, by measuring the total retardation in the reflected light. The birefringence of the anterior segment of the eye, mainly the cornea, is a confounding variable to the RNFL measurement. Anterior segment birefringence varies over a wide range among individua...

We study both numerically and experimentally the spectral dependence of the group modal birefringence in a highly birefringent nonlinear photonic crystal fibre. We demonstrate the possible sign inversion of the group modal birefringence and its cancellation in the telecommunication window corresponding to zero polarization mode dispersion. Two simple experimental techniques are used to evaluate...

Optical-window birefringence is frequently a major obstacle in experiments measuring changes in the polarization state of light traversing a sample under investigation. It can contribute a signal indistinguishable from that due to the sample and complicate the analysis. Here, we explore a method to measure and compensate for the birefringence of an optical window using the reflection from the l...

We report on an ultra-low birefringence dodecagonal glass cell for ultra-high vacuum applications. The epoxy-bonded trapezoidal windows of the cell are made of SF57 glass, which exhibits a very low stress-induced birefringence. We characterize the birefringence Δn of each window with the cell under vacuum conditions, obtaining values around 10(-8). After baking the cell at 150 °C, we reach a pr...