Faraday effect

Faraday effect [′far·ə‚dā i′fekt]

(optics)

Rotation of polarization of a beam of linearly polarized light when it passes through matter in the direction of an applied magnetic field; it is the result of Faraday birefringence. Also known as Faraday rotation; Kundt effect; magnetic rotation.

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Faraday effect

Rotation of the plane of polarization of a beam of linearly polarized light when the light passes through matter in the direction of the lines of force of an applied magnetic field. Discovered by M. Faraday in 1846, the effect is often called magnetic rotation. See Magnetooptics

The Faraday effect is particularly simple in substances having sharp absorption lines, that is, in gases and in certain crystals, particularly at low temperatures. Here the effect can be fully explained from the fundamental properties of the atoms and molecules involved. In other substances the situation may be more complex, but the same principles furnish the explanation.

Rotation of the plane of polarization occurs when there is a difference between the indices of refraction n⁺ for right-handed polarized light and n^- for left-handed polarized light. Most substances do not show such a difference without a magnetic field, except optically active substances such as crystalline quartz or a sugar solution. It should be noted that the index of refraction in the vicinity of an absorption line changes with the frequency. See Polarized light