Anomalous birefringence of light in free-standing samples of porous silicon

Citation
Me. Kompan et al., Anomalous birefringence of light in free-standing samples of porous silicon, J EXP TH PH, 90(2), 2000, pp. 324-329
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL PHYSICS
ISSN journal
10637761 → ACNP
Volume
90
Issue
2
Year of publication
2000
Pages
324 - 329
Database
ISI
SICI code
1063-7761(2000)90:2<324:ABOLIF>2.0.ZU;2-O
Abstract
The birefringence of light in freely suspended samples of porous silicon is observed and investigated. The effect is interpreted as "shape birefringen ce," i.e., the effect caused by the structure of a material consisting of a nisotropic formations with sizes less than the wavelength of the light and with a predominant orientation. It is checked experimentally that the sampl es do not possess optical activity or optical anisotropy in the plane of th e porous-silicon film. It is determined that the effect is observed for pol arization of incident light that rules out the possibility of observing bir efringence in a uniform optical medium, and it is not observed in the conve ntional experimental geometry. Qualitative explanations are given for the a nomalous character of the observed defect. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka /Interperio dica".