MAGNETOOPTICAL CIRCULAR BIREFRINGENCE OF A CHIRAL MEDIUM IN HIGH MAGNETIC-FIELD

Measurements are reported of the magneto-optical circular birefringenc e of an intracentrifuged blood. The blood plasma is optically active. Under the influence of external magnetic field magnetooptical circular birefringence of the investigated medium is observed as a superpositi on of linear (B), quadratic (B-2) and cubic (B-3) field dependence. Th e quantitative result of the observed effect is different for parallel (up arrow up arrow) and antiparallel (up down arrow) light propagatio n k, to the direction of the magnetic held B acting on the medium. The se results are the first experimental observation of the B-2 and B-3 e ffects and the different circular birefringence for a chiral medium in a magnetic field parallel and antiparallel to the light beam propagat ion. The parallel (k, B) and antiparallel (k, -B) effects are observed clearly for a magnetic field of induction B above 10 T acting on the plasma. The B-2 and B-3 dependent effects are unambiguously recorded f or B values above 20 T. For different sources of human plasma the magn eto-optical data differ slightly. The magneto-optical circular birefri ngence of the plasma investigated has been measured in high magnetic f ields of up to 30 T and with a 488 nm wavelength laser beam.