Plane-parallel biaxial plates as polarization interferometers

Plane-parallel biaxial plates as polarization interferorneters. Knowing the refractive indices and the directions of the rays inside a birefringent crystal, it is possible to calculate the positions of the images formed, when a non-parallel light beam incides on it. We part from general expressions for images in plane-parallel plates of any type of medium and we use vectorial expressions for the incident and refractive rays and waves in both interfaces. From them, we obtained the interference patterns which are observed when the plate is placed between two crossed polarizers. This experimental device Constitutes a polarization interferometer. In order to find the shape of the interference patterns, we superposed the wave's fronts emerging from the images determining. in this way, the phase difference curves of phase constant on a screen. (c) 2005 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.