Light propagation in biaxial crystals

TL;DR

This paper introduces a formalism for predicting how light beams transform when passing through biaxial crystals, demonstrating the transition from double refraction to conical refraction both theoretically and experimentally.

Contribution

The paper develops a new formalism capable of accurately predicting light beam transformations in biaxial crystals, including complex beam profiles and cascaded crystal configurations.

Findings

Confirmed the transition from double refraction to conical refraction experimentally.

Validated the formalism for non-cylindrically symmetric beams.

Predicted transformations for cascaded biaxial crystals.

Abstract

We present a formalism able to predict the transformation of light beams passing through biaxial crystals. We use this formalism to show both theoretically and experimentally the transition from double refraction to conical refraction, which is found when light propagates along one of the optic axes of a biaxial crystal. Additionally, we demonstrate that the theory is applicable both to non-cylindrically symmetric and non-homogeneously polarized beams by predicting the transformation of input beams passing through a cascade of biaxial crystals.