Birefringent Optical Crystals Quartz

Description

Quartz is a birefringent optical crystal with a hexagonal crystal structure. It exhibits a relatively high birefringence and is often used in polarizing optics, such as wave plates and polarizers.

Quartz is commonly used in polarization-sensitive applications, such as optical filters, polarimeters, and spectroscopic instruments. It is also used in quartz crystal oscillators for timing and frequency control in electronic devices, as well as in optical fibers for communication systems.

Quartz has a unique property known as piezoelectricity, which means that it can generate an electric voltage in response to mechanical stress. This property makes quartz useful in various applications, such as in sensors for pressure, acceleration, and vibration, as well as in oscillators and resonators for precise frequency control.

One of the challenges in using quartz for optical applications is that it exhibits a significant variation in birefringence and optical axis orientation depending on the growth direction and crystal quality. Therefore, careful crystal orientation and processing are required to achieve the desired optical properties.

Order Form