birefringence
Americannoun
noun
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The property or capacity of splitting a beam of light into two beams, each refracted at a different angle, and each polarized at a right angle to the other. Certain crystals such as calcite and quartz have this property.
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The difference in the index of refraction between two beams passing through a substance that has this property.
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See also refraction index of refraction
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of birefringence
First recorded in 1885–90; bi- 1 + refringence
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nearly 90 years ago, Werner Heisenberg predicted a strange quantum effect known as vacuum birefringence, in which seemingly empty space can change the way light behaves.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
Together, those features make 1E 1547 especially well suited for searching for vacuum birefringence.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
Theory predicts that when a vacuum is exposed to an extraordinarily strong magnetic field, Heisenberg's virtual particles can affect how light travels, producing vacuum birefringence, or VB.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
The paper titled "Vacuum birefringence and the polarized X-ray emission of a radio magnetar" has been published in Nature.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026
The difference between the two indices is a measure of the strength of the double refraction or birefringence.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various
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