SYSTEMATIC EIGENVALUE APPROACH TO CRYSTAL OPTICS - AN ANALYTIC ALTERNATIVE TO THE GEOMETRIC ELLIPSOID MODEL

The linear birefringences, optic axes, and linear eigenpolarizations t hat are familiar features of light propagation in transparent opticall y inactive anisotropic crystals are fully explained by Fresnel's ellip soid model or the related indicatrix ellipsoid. However, these models cannot account for circular birefringence and the linear birefringence s of Lorentz and Jones. All birefringences can, nevertheless, be expla ined by an appropriate multipole eigenvalue theory, of which the elect ric-dipole description presented in this paper is the formal basis of the ellipsoid models. This description is analytic in form, as opposed to the mainly geometric treatment of the ellipsoid schemes, and sets the latter in the context of a systematic multipole approach for descr ibing other birefringences. Furthermore, it offers certain new insight s and results. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.