Abstract

Interactions of bound electrons with an electromagnetic wave mix the electronic states and contribute terms to the wave functions linear in the propagation constant k of the light. These terms contribute O(k²) to the dielectric tensor ∊_ij, with a resulting birefringence in an O_h crystal when k is not parallel to a three-or fourfold axis. By substitution of the dielectric tensor with its k dependence into Maxwell’s equations, the three possible polarization E directions for each k and the corresponding propagation velocities can be predicted. Retardation of approximately transverse waves in a crystal with small anisotropy is a maximum along 〈110〉 and zero along 〈100〉 and 〈111〉. Retardation is also small for k directions lying on the shorter segment of a great circle of the unit sphere connecting a given pair of three- and fourfold axes. An investigation is also made of directions of maximum and minimum retardation in an O_h cube when anisotropy is not small. All of these results serve to correct analyses of earlier authors who assumed polarization directions appropriate only to a uniaxial crystal.

© 1971 Optical Society of America

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