Measurement of crystal retarders
Abstract
Accurate measurements of calcite, quartz, and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) retarder plates were required as part of a project to measure the characteristics of the solar interior. Important criteria were absolute retardation of multiple-order quartz wave plates, uniformity of retardation of relatively thick calcite and ADP plates, and alignment of the crystal optical axis with the polished surfaces of the calcite and ADP plates. Here, procedures for measuring the retardation, the uniformity of retardation, and optical axis alignment of birefringent crystals are discussed, and some measurement results are presented.
- Publication:
-
Applied Optics
- Pub Date:
- January 1991
- DOI:
- 10.1364/AO.30.000012
- Bibcode:
- 1991ApOpt..30...12C
- Keywords:
-
- Ammonium Phosphates;
- Birefringence;
- Crystal Optics;
- Optical Measuring Instruments;
- Phase Shift;
- Retarding;
- Calcite;
- Linear Polarization;
- Quartz;
- Spectrophotometers;
- Instrumentation and Photography;
- BIREFRINGENCE;
- RETARDERS;
- OPTICAL TESTING