birefringence

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The splitting of a ray of light into two parallel rays of perpendicular polarization by passage through an optically anisotropic medium; the property of a material that light passing through it is so split.

   “In figure 6, the birefringence, δ, for 2H, 4H, 6H, and 15R is plotted as a function of wavelength.”

   “This means that, in contrast to the relaxation after steady shear flow, one has actually to expect that there will be a significant difference in the speeds of relaxation of birefringence and recoverable shear like the difference suggested by the courses of curves I and II of Fig.4.1.”

   “In this paper, two-dimensional thermal and mechanical stress-induced birefringence measurements in laser-diode-pumped solid-state laser materials using the new polarimeter are described.”

   “2012, Luís A. Fernandes, Birefringence and Bragg grating control in femtosecond laser written optical circuits, Departamento de Física e Astronomia da Universidade do Porto, page 112, Heat accumulation in borosilicate glass [23] has [been] shown to produce lower birefringence due to radial stress regions as opposed to the more asymmetric stress produced in fused silica [136, 137]; however, these features remain unexplored in most glasses.”