Abstract:

When a light beam is incident on an interface uniaxial crystal-isotropic medium, unlike isotropic interfaces, a double reflection takes place. If the incident wave is extraordinary, the propagation velocity of the four intervening waves (extraordinary incident, ordinary reflected, extraordinary reflected and transmitted) are different originating greater asymmetries than those appearing when the incident wave is ordinary. If, additionally, the light beam is incident under conditions of inhibited reflection, the analysis of the polarization of the waves present is of interest since the ordinary reflected wave is evanescent and the polarization of the refracted wave is elliptical. In this article the attenuation undergone by the ordinary reflected wave when it withdraws from the interface is shown; the eccentricity and the direction of the larger axis of the polarization ellipse of the refracted wave is calculated; and its dependence on the incidence angle and on the orientation of the optical axis of the crystal is analyzed.