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Double cone of eigendirections in optically active ethylenediammonium selenate crystals
Author(s) -
Martin Alexander T.,
Nichols Shane M.,
Li Sichao,
Tan Melissa,
Kahr Bart
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s1600576717007865
Subject(s) - birefringence , polarization (electrochemistry) , materials science , crystal optics , optics , mueller calculus , molecular physics , condensed matter physics , physics , chemistry , polarimetry , scattering , laser
Circular birefringence (CB) is generally responsible for only a small perturbation to the state of light polarization in crystals that also exhibit linear birefringence (LB). As such, the magnetoelectric tensor of gyration, which gives rise to CB and optical activity, is less well determined than the electric permittivity tensor in optical models of the Mueller matrix. To visualize the effect of the magnetoelectric tensor on polarimetric measurements, reported here are experimental mappings of the Mueller matrix and of the CB in a new chiral crystal with accidental null LB at an accessible optical frequency. Single crystals of ethylenediammonium selenate (EDSeO 4 ) were synthesized and characterized by X‐ray diffraction and Mueller matrix measurements in transmission and reflection. The crystals are isomorphous with the corresponding sulfate salt. They are tetragonal, space group P 4 1(3) 2 1 2. The constitutive relations of EDSeO 4 were recovered using a partial wave summation of incoherent reflections. The extraordinary and ordinary refractive indices cross at 364 nm (3.41 eV), a scenario commonly called the `isotropic point' or `iso‐index point'. At this wavelength, the magnetoelectric tensor fully describes the polarization transformation, giving rise to a double cone of eigendirections.