Lab Experiments- KamalJeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit

Experiment-193

BIREFRINGENCE OF MICA
Dr D Sudhakar Rao and Chaithra G M
Dept. of Physics, St Aloysius College, Mangalore-575 003. INDIA.

Email:sr23us@Yahoo.com Abstract Using Babinet compensator ordinary and extra-ordinary rays of light are produced. These light rays interfere and interference fringes are observed. By introducing mica sheet in between the incident ray and Babinet compensator, shift in the fringe pattern is observed. The fringe shift is measured and the differences in the refractive indices of the ordinary and extraordinary rays are calculated.

Introduction
Glass is an isotropic material. Hence light travels through it in any direction with the same velocity. There are some transparent materials such as Calcite, Quartz in which light travels with two different velocities in two different directions. Such a material is called anisotropic material or birefringent material. Birefringence or double refraction results due to change in refractive indices of the material in two different directions. The atoms in the material are bound to crystal lattice with different forces along its three different crystallographic axes which results in anisotropicity of the material with different refractive indices. Most of the transparent plastics, synthetic fabrics and liquid crystals are birefringent in nature meaning they have two different refractive indices along the two different crystal axes. Table1 lists birefringent materials and their refractive indices. The difference between the two refractive indices is called Birefringence. It is the measure of the ability of the material to refract light waves [1]. Table-1 ne Birefringence Material no Tourmaline (complex silicate) 1.669 1.658 0.011 Calcite (CaCO3) 1.6584 1.4864 0.172 Quartz (SiO2) 1.5443 1.5534 -0.0091 Sodium Nitrate (NaNO3) 1.5854 1.3369 0.2485 Ice (H2O) 1.309 1.313 -0.004 Rutile (TiO2) 2.616 2.903 -0.287 Calomel (Hg2 Cl2) 1.973 2.656 -0.683 Ruby (Al2 O3) 1.77 1.762 0.008 Sapphire (Al2 O3) 1.768 1.76 0.008 Refractive indices of few birefringent materials

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Lab Experiments- KamalJeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit A birefringent material can be easily identified by placing the material over a dot mark made by a pen on paper. Two distinct dots will be observed because of two refractive indices of the material. By placing a piece of Polaroid sheet over the crystal and rotating it, one can see two distinct images one of which is fixed while the other moves with rotation of the material. In an anisotropic material, such as Calcite, out of the three crystallographic axes, two of the axes may be isotropic (similar) and one may be an anisotropic (dissimilar). The isotropic axis is called optical axis. This is taken as the X-axis, perpendicular to which Y and Z-axis are taken. Light travels with different speeds along X and Y-axis or X and Z-axis. The ray of light traveling along the X-axis with its electric field (E-field) vector perpendicular to X-axis is called ordinary-ray (O-ray) and light traveling on Y or Z axis with its E-field parallel to Y or Z-axis is called extra-ordinary ray (E-ray). Hence when light travels through a birefringent material it splits into ordinary and extraordinary rays. Figure-1 shows the splitting of incoming polarized light into extra ordinary and ordinary rays.

Refraction taking place at the point of incidence

Birefringent material ( Calcite) E-field H-field

Light source

Ordinary ray Extraordinary ray E-field

H-field Ray split in to two, Ordinary and Extraordinary rays

Figure-1: Incident light beam splitting in to ordinary and extra-ordinary rays

Babinet Compensator
The splitting of monochromatic light into O-ray and E-ray was first demonstrated by Babinet using an instrument called Babinet Compensator. In this he used two wedges shaped Quartz crystals cut along its two different axes as shown in Figure-2. On such a crystal monochromatic plane polarized light is allowed to fall. The plane polarized light gets refracted and the O-rays and E-rays that are produced interfere with each other to form fringes. These fringes can be observed. It is not only solids but also some transparent liquids that exhibit birefringence from which prisms cannot be made. Hence to observe birefringence of other materials Babinet compensator can be used. The birefringent material is placed after the polarizer on which first the plane polarized light is allowed to fall. The O-rays and E-rays coming out of the material is allowed to fall on Quartz crystal of the Babinet compensator. Inside the compensator quartz crystal these rays further refract and hence the original fringes get shifted. By measuring the increase in fringe shift, birefringence of the material placed between the polarizer and the compensator can be estimated. The compensator acts like an amplifier that increases path difference between the two rays. This enables measurement of the birefringence.

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Lab Experiments- KamalJeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit Birefringent materials are used as retarding plates in optics. These optical plates are used to produce phase difference between two outgoing light rays. Phase difference of the order of several wavelengths can be produced by this method. Producing wavelength difference is making one wave travel slower than the other wave hence it is called the wave retarding plate. Figure-3 shows the Babinet compensator used in this experiment. The eyepiece is fixed to an analyzer. This is required because of the use of polarizer at the input of the compensator. By adjusting the analyzer the brightness of the fringes can be adjusted.
Y-axis Crystal cut in the wedge shape parallel to the optical axis Crystal cut in the wedge shape perpendicular to the optical axis Y-axis

Optical axis (X) Z-axis Z-axis

Optical axis (X)

Two wedges joined to form prism

Figure-2: Two wedge shaped quartz crystal joined together to form a prism

Figure-3: Babinet Compensator used in this experiment Babinet compensator shown in Figure-3 is an optical instrument designed by Jacques Babinet (1794-1872) a French physicist. Using which he studied optical properties of various transparent materials. This provides controllable wave retardation. Unlike a fixed wave plate where the path difference is fixed (example: Quarter wave plate path difference /4). Babinet compensator can be adjusted to provide variable path difference (X) by using different thickness birefringent materials. A white light illuminating the Babinet compensator produces colored fringes and monochromatic light will produce bright and dark fringes.

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Theory
Velocity of light in a medium is defined as c Vmedium = n Where c is velocity of light in vacuum n is refractive index of the medium

Because of double refractive index the velocities of light in two different directions are different. Hence velocity along optical axis (X-axis) V = Vx =
c n0 c ne

V// = VY,Z =

Where VX is velocity of light along optical axis (X-axis) VY,Z is velocity of light along (Y or Z) direction. c = V// ne = Vno Since E-rays travel faster than the O-rays no > ne 4 3

If t is the thickness of the crystal through which the light travels, then ne t is the optical path of E-rays and not is optical path of O-rays. Therefore the path difference between the rays is = (no-ne) t 5

If this path difference is integral multiple of wavelength then constructive and destructive interference takes place and interference fringes are observed at a distance from the crystal, which can be observed through an eyepiece. For constructive interference = n 6

Where n is an integer and is the wavelength of the incident light. A second birefringent material placed in between compensator and the polarizer adds further path difference in to this. Because of which the entire fringe system will shift or move from its original position as shown in Figure-4. This fringe shift can be measured. The path difference due to second birefringent material is given by [2,3]
=

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Substituting for in equation-5, birefringence of the second material (n o - n e ) = t

Where is the fringe shift with second material is fringe width without the second material t is the thickness of the second material is wavelength of the light used (no-ne) is difference in the refractive indices of the O and E rays.
Vertical Cross wire Vertical Cross wire

Fringes Shiting of the fringe

Figure-4: Shift in fringes due to mica sheet (second birefringent material) Knowing thickness of birefringent material, measuring fringe width and fringe separation, difference in the refractive indices of the E-rays and O-rays produced by the birefringent material placed between the polarizer and compensator can be determined.

Apparatus Used
Babinet compensator, mica sheet of two different thicknesses, sodium vapor lamp and optical bench (Optional). The complete experimental set-up is shown in Figure-5.

Figure-5: Birefringence experimental set-up (Color picture front cover)

Experimental Procedure
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1. Uniform thickness 2x1 inch2 mica sheet is taken and its average thickness is determined using a screw gauge. The observations are tabulated in Table -2. Thickness t = 0.035 mm for sheet-1 Thickness t = 0.055 mm for sheet-2 2. The polarizer and analyzers are mounted on the uprights of the optical bench facing sodium vapor lamp. 3. Babinet compensator is now placed between the polarizer and the analyzer. They are aligned in a straight line along the optical bench. 4. Now light from sodium lamp is made to fall on the polarizer. 5. The analyzer is rotated to get minimum intensity in the field of view.
Table-2 PSR (mm) HSR (div) TR 0 3 0.03 0 4 0.04 0 3 0.03 0 4 0.04 0 6 0.06 0 6 0.06 0 5 0.05 0 5 0.05 Mica sheet thickness

Mica sheet used

Mean thickness t (mm)

Sheet-1

0.035

Sheet-2

0.055

Figure-6: Straight-line fringes observed

6. A series of dark and bright fringes are seen in the field of view during the process of adjustment. The analyzer is stopped rotating when distinctly clear fringes are observed. The fringes observed are shown in Figure-6.

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7. Using the micrometer of the Babinet compensator, the fringe width is measured by coinciding two consecutive fringes with the vertical cross wire. The readings obtained are tabulated in Table-3. Fringe width = 1.406mm 8. One of the mica sheets is introduced between the polarizer and the compensator. It is rotated at that position by hand to get maximum fringe shift and held at that position to note fringe shift. 9. The micrometer reading after making the vertical cross-wire coincide with the edge of the earlier dark fringe is noted. 10. The difference between the micrometer readings gives the fringe shift. The readings are tabulated in Table-4. 11. The experiment is repeated for different fringes and each time the fringe shift is calculated. 12. Birefringence of mica is then calculated using equation-8. 13. The experiment is repeated for another mica sheet and the mean birefringence is calculated. Table-3 Fringe No. Micrometer reading Fringe width MSR (mm) CVD Total reading (mm) 1 1 42 1.42 2 2 82 2.82 1.40 3 4 21 4.21 1.41 4 5 61 5.61 1.40 5 7 02 7.02 1.41 6 8 43 8.43 1.41 Fringe width determination
Table-4 After introducing mica sheet PSR HSR TR

Thickness of the sheet used t (mm)

Before introducing mica sheet PSR HSR TR

Fringe Shift (mm)

Birefringence =

0.035

0.055

1 3 4 5 7 1 2 3 5 6

62 1.62 1 32 1.32 0.30 04 3.04 2 75 2.75 0.29 49 4.49 4 19 4.19 0.30 91 5.91 5 57 5.57 0.30 33 7.33 7 04 7.04 0.29 16 1.16 1 58 1.58 0.42 42 2.42 2 84 2.84 0.42 58 3.58 3 99 3.99 0.41 44 5.44 5 85 5.85 0.41 89 6.89 7 29 7.29 0.40 Determination of fringe shift and birefringence

(mm) 0.003591 0.003471 0.003591 0.003591 0.003471 0.003574 0.003574 0.003489 0.003489 0.003404

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PSR- Pitch scale reading, HSR- head scale reading, TR- total reading, Mean birefringence = 0.0035245

Results
Birefringence of mica = 0.0035245 Standard value =0.0033 to 0.005

Discussion
This experiment can be done on Optical bench or the stand provided along with the instrument can be used as shown in Figure-5. The fringes will appear once the analyzer, compensator, eyepiece-carrying analyzer are in straight line.

References
[1] [1] [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birefringence Francis A Jenkins and Harvey E White, Fundamentals of Optics, P-569. http://plc.cwru.edu/tutorial/enhanced/files/lc/biref/biref.htm

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