Sc. Mcclain et al., POLARIZATION RAY-TRACING IN ANISOTROPIC OPTICALLY-ACTIVE MEDIA .2. THEORY AND PHYSICS, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A: Optics and image science, 10(11), 1993, pp. 2383-2393
Citations number
54
Categorie Soggetti
Optics
Journal title
Journal of the Optical Society of America. A: Optics and image science
Refraction, reflection, and amplitude relations are derived that apply
to polarization ray tracing in anisotropic, optically active media su
ch as quartz. The constitutive relations for quartz are discussed. The
refractive indices and polarization states associated with the two mo
des of propagation are derived as a function of wave direction. A proc
edure for refracting at any uniaxial or optically active interface is
derived that computes both the ray direction and the wave direction. A
method for computing the optical path length is given, and Fresnel tr
ansmission and reflection equations are derived from boundary conditio
ns on the electromagnetic fields. These ray-tracing formulas apply to
uniaxial, optically active media and therefore encompass uniaxial, non
-optically active materials and isotropic, optically active materials.