Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Polarization-Sensitive Two-Photon Microscopy for a Label-Free Amyloid Structural Characterization
Published on: September 8, 2023
General polarized ray-tracing method for inhomogeneous uniaxially anisotropic media
Maarten Sluijter1, Dick K G de Boer, Joseph J M Braat
1Philips Research Europe, High Tech Campus 34, MS 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Maarten.Sluijter@philips.com
Abstract:
Uniaxial optical anisotropy in the geometrical-optics approach is a classical problem, and most of the theory has been known for at least fifty years. Although the subject appears frequently in the literature, wave propagation through inhomogeneous anisotropic media is rarely addressed. The rapid advances in liquid-crystal lenses call for a good overview of the theory on wave propagation via anisotropic media. Therefore, we present a novel polarized ray-tracing method, which can be applied to anisotropic optical systems that contain inhomogeneous liquid crystals. We describe the propagation of rays in the bulk material of inhomogeneous anisotropic media in three dimensions. In addition, we discuss ray refraction, ray reflection, and energy transfer at, in general, curved anisotropic interfaces with arbitrary orientation and/or arbitrary anisotropic properties. The method presented is a clear outline of how to assess the optical properties of uniaxially anisotropic media.
Related Concept Videos
Polar Coordinates: Problem Solving
Potential Due to a Polarized Object
Unsymmetric Bending - Angle of Neutral Axis
When a bending moment is applied at an angle θ concerning the vertical axis of a symmetrical member, it can be resolved into components along the member's principal centroidal axes. The...
Plane Electromagnetic Waves I
The EM field is assumed to be a...
Gauss's Law: Cylindrical Symmetry
Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor

