Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) is a uniaxial crystal of the tetragonal class

PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Optics & Photonics · Condensed Matter, Materials & Soft Matter · Polarisation and anisotropic media

What an Instrument Can See, Ch Anisotropic media: the dielectric tensor and the index ellipsoid

Problem

Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) is a uniaxial crystal of the tetragonal class. At 589 nm its principal indices are

n_o = 1.5079

and

n_e = 1.4683

. ((a)) Write the dielectric tensor

\epsilon_{ij}

of KDP in its principal axes at 589 nm, to three decimal places, and state which of the three principal values are equal. ((b)) A plane wave travels through the crystal with its wave vector

\mathbf{k}

35^\circ

to the optic axis. Find the refractive index of the extraordinary eigenmode at this angle.

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