Angle of refraction, Refractive Indices, and D Vectors

In summary, at the He-Ne laser wavelength, the refractive indices of crystal quartz are n o = 1.54264 and n e = 1.55171. The angle of refraction and direction of the D vectors for the o- and e- waves inside the crystal depend on the orientation of the optic axis and the plane of incidence.
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Joystar77
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I have no idea how to do this or where to start. Can someone please help me?

At the He-Ne laser wavelength (L= 632.8 nm) the refractive indices of crystal quartz are n o = 1.54264 and n e = 1.55171 calculated from its Sellmeier equation. The laser is incident from the air onto the surface of crystal quartz at an angle of incidence of 45 degrees. For each of the following three cases, please find the angle of refraction, find the refractive indices, and briefly describe the direction of the D vectors for the o- and e- waves inside the crystal.

a.) The optic axis is parallel to the plane of incidence, and is also parallel to the surface of the crystal.

b.) The optic axis is perpendicular to the surface of the crystal.

c.) The optic axis is perpendicular to the plane of incidence.
 
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Answer:

a.) The angle of refraction is approximately 22.3 degrees, the refractive indices are n o = 1.54264 and n e = 1.55171, and the direction of the D vectors for the o- and e- waves inside the crystal will be parallel to the optic axis and parallel to the plane of incidence.

b.) The angle of refraction is approximately 35.3 degrees, the refractive indices are n o = 1.54264 and n e = 1.55171, and the direction of the D vectors for the o- and e- waves inside the crystal will be perpendicular to the optic axis and perpendicular to the surface of the crystal.

c.) The angle of refraction is approximately 19.7 degrees, the refractive indices are n o = 1.54264 and n e = 1.55171, and the direction of the D vectors for the o- and e- waves inside the crystal will be perpendicular to the optic axis and perpendicular to the plane of incidence.
 

1. What is the angle of refraction?

The angle of refraction refers to the change in direction of a light ray as it passes through a boundary between two different mediums, such as air and water. It is measured between the incident ray (original path of the light) and the refracted ray (new path of the light).

2. How is the angle of refraction related to the angle of incidence?

The angle of refraction is related to the angle of incidence by Snell's Law, which states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is equal to the ratio of the refractive indices of the two mediums. This relationship is expressed as: sin(i)/sin(r) = n2/n1, where i is the angle of incidence, r is the angle of refraction, and n1 and n2 are the refractive indices of the first and second mediums, respectively.

3. What is a refractive index?

A refractive index is a measure of how much a light ray bends when passing through a medium compared to its speed in a vacuum. It is a unitless quantity and is typically denoted by the symbol n. The higher the refractive index of a medium, the slower light travels through it.

4. How does the refractive index vary for different materials?

The refractive index can vary greatly for different materials. For example, the refractive index of air is very close to 1, while the refractive index of water is around 1.33. Materials with higher refractive indices, such as glass or diamond, have a greater ability to bend light and are often used in lenses and other optical devices.

5. What is the D vector in optics?

The D vector, also known as the displacement vector, is a vector quantity that represents the direction and magnitude of the displacement of a ray of light as it passes through a medium. It is perpendicular to both the incident and refracted rays and is used in calculations of refraction and reflection at boundaries between mediums.

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