Interferometric method for birefringence determination with a polarizing microscope

We present a new mathematical technique which can be used to determine the main refractive indices and the birefringence of an anisotropic layer by using a polarizing microscope in conoscopic illumination. The values of the birefringence for the yellow radiation of a Na lamp are determined here for a Carpathian quartz sample, but the technique can also be applied to the study of other uniaxial substances such as liquid crystals, model membranes or biological tissues. The validity of the proposed method was tested by comparing the results with those obtained with a Rayleigh interferometer and by using the technology of channeled spectra.