Having two refractive indices (depending on orientation)
Used in a Sentence
birefringent
Definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for birefringent.
Editorial note
It's weakly birefringent, which can be noticeable in larger gems, but the refractive index is larger than that of diamond, and the dispersion is greater too.
Examples10
Definitions2
Parts of speech1
Quick take
Having two refractive indices (depending on orientation)
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of birefringent gathered in one view.
Of or pertaining to birefringence
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for birefringent.
adjective
Having two refractive indices (depending on orientation)
adjective
Of or pertaining to birefringence
Example sentences
It's weakly birefringent, which can be noticeable in larger gems, but the refractive index is larger than that of diamond, and the dispersion is greater too.
The colours of a soap bubble can be understood with a Michel-Levy chart and thin film interference of a birefringent medium.
When you figure out how to 3d print a birefringent material, let me know.
The vacuum itself is polarized, becoming strongly birefringent, like a calcite crystal.
Most plastic sheets are birefringent due to the way they are produced.
The problem with liquid crystals though is that they are birefringent.
I am talking about things like birefringent materials (quartz crystals) and diffraction effects like light reflected off of a CD or shining through a thin piece of cloth.
SiC (moissanite) is also birefringent which makes it look a lot more sparkly (each incident ray of non-polarized light is split in 2, so if illuminated by a single bright light source you get twice as many sparkles).
(Edit: It is also birefringent, which does require care when choosing a cut, size, and setting) Cubic zirconia, too, can be stunning.
Quote examples
Our H-alpha filter was a "quartz birefringent monochrometer" -- it used a stack of calcite & quartz polarizing filters to get 2 or 3 angstrom bandwidth.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use birefringent in a sentence?
It's weakly birefringent, which can be noticeable in larger gems, but the refractive index is larger than that of diamond, and the dispersion is greater too.
What does birefringent mean?
Having two refractive indices (depending on orientation)
What part of speech is birefringent?
birefringent is commonly used as adjective.