Two emerging beams of light produced by a birefringent crystal
A) will produce an interference pattern when recombined.
B) are polarized in mutually perpendicular directions.
C) are polarized in the same direction.
D) are at different frequencies.
E) are at 90° with respect to one another.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Birefringent crystals split incoming light into two beams that are polarized in mutually perpendicular directions. This is a fundamental property of birefringence, where the crystal has different refractive indices for light polarized in different directions.

Two Emerging Beams of Light Produced by a Birefringent Crystal