Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for measuring birefringence and retardation

US5406371A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
14References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 27, 1992
Grant dateApr 11, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 27, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J4/04
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In order to efficiently obtain data for calculating retardation values at a plurality of wavelengths, a sample having birefringence is placed between a polarizer and an analyzer, which are maintained in a parallel nicol relation to each other and rotated about an optical axis of measuring light. White measuring light is applied through the polarizer so that the light being passed through the sample and transmitted through the analyzer is received by a polychromator. A one-dimensional optical sensor is arranged on an outgoing imaging surface of the polychromator, to simultaneously detect transmitted light intensity values of a plurality of wavelengths. Since transmitted light intensity values of a plurality of wavelengths are obtained every polarization rotation angle of the polarizer and the analyzer, it is possible to obtain dispersion of retardation values with respect to wavelengths and the like by processing the data.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.