Optics, electromagnetic theory Polarization and crystal optics Concept
Conical refraction
Summary
Conical refraction is the spreading of a narrow beam of light into a hollow cone. It happens when the beam travels along an optic axis of a biaxial crystal. It comes from the singular points of Fresnel's wave surface, where its two sheets meet. William Rowan Hamilton predicted it in 1832 from the geometry of the wave surface, and Humphrey Lloyd observed it soon after. It was an early case of a new physical effect found by mathematics before experiment.
Further reading
About this page
| Tag | D7MTADETE9 |
|---|---|
| URI | m2://D7MTADETE9 |
| Kind | concept |
| Writing | W0 stub |
| MSC | 78A10, 78A05 |
| Same as | |
| Changed | 3 November 2026 |
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