birefringence

American  

[bahy-ri-frin-juhns] / ˌbaɪ rɪˈfrɪn dʒəns /

noun

Optics.

1. double refraction.

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birefringence British  

/ ˌbaɪrɪˈfrɪndʒəns /

noun

1. another name for double refraction

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birefringence Scientific  

/ bī′rĭ-frĭn′jəns /

1. 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.

2. The difference in the index of refraction between two beams passing through a substance that has this property.

3. See also refraction index of refraction

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Other Word Forms

• birefringent adjective

Etymology

Origin of birefringence

First recorded in 1885–90; bi- ¹ + refringence

Example Sentences

First, Naokawa and Namikawa derived an analytical equation describing how the gravitational lensing effect changes the cosmic birefringence signal.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2023

As a result, the researchers found that if gravitational lensing is ignored, the observed cosmic birefringence signal cannot be fitted well by the theoretical prediction, which would statistically reject the true theory.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2023

Note the double-refracted word “calcite” in the center of the figure due to birefringence.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

Amyloid is defined pathologically by the demonstration of green birefringence on binding of the dye Congo red and biophysically by a cross-β fibre diffraction pattern. b, Models of recombinant PrP fibrils and ex vivo prions.

From Nature • Nov. 8, 2016

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