Polarimetric imaging of crystals

Abstract

Classical crystal optics has recently undergone a renaissance as developments in optical microscopy and polarimetry, enabled in part by sensitive imaging CCD cameras and personal computers, now permit the analytical separation of various optical effects that are otherwise convolved in polarized light micrographs. In this tutorial review, we review recent developments in the measurement of the principal crystallo-optical quantities including linear birefringence, linear dichroism, circular birefringence, and circular dichroism, as well as new effects in crystal optics encountered in unusual mixed crystals. The new microscopies and polarimetries are applied to problems of crystallographic twinning, phase transformations, stress birefringence, symmetry reduction, and the design of new crystalline materials.

Polarized light imaging of white matter architecture

“…The measurement of such molecular birefringence has been developed to a high degree of accuracy (Kaminsky et al, 2004) and is used for the identification of crystals and the understanding of their atomic structure (among many other uses).…”

From CIF to virtual morphology using theWinXMorphprogram

“…Because of strong linear dichroism, the extinction angle shown for polymorph 2 appears 45 clockwise rotated. The phase factor = 2ÁnL/ is related to the birefringence, Án, wavelength of light, , and sample thickness, L. Further details of polarimetric methods used here are outlined elsewhere (Kaminsky et al, 2004). Virtual pyrite hand piece created from WinXMorph models and grouped using VRLM commands.…”

Detecting ordered small molecule drug aggregates in live macrophages: a multi-parameter microscope image data acquisition and analysis strategy

“…Similar to conventional, transmitted light microscopy, polarization microscopy instruments can employ polarized, transmitted light to study the structure of supramolecular aggregates within individual cells [4][5][6][7]. Because of the manner in which polarized light interacts with ordered molecular structures, differences in the organization of molecular components can be detected and quantified based on the fraction of light that is transmitted through the material when it is illuminated with polarized light [8].…”