Birefingent | Ray rotation Stress pattern Distribution |
B
irefringence refers to certain materials that exhibit double refraction, with the displaced energy rays polarized in different axes. Isotropic solids do not exhibit birefringence unless they are under mechanical stress. In the case of injection-molded plastic, the stress is 'frozen' in the material as it cooled. Placing such an object between two crossed polarizers will reveal the underlying hidden tension as colored-light wavelength patterns.
“Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.” - Albert Einstein
