Properties of Light

EENS 211 Mineralogy

Tulane University Prof. Stephen A. Nelson

Properties of Light and Examination of Isotropic Substances

This document last updated on 16-Oct-2008

The optical properties of crystals are, next to x-ray diffraction and direct chemical analyses, the
most reliable properties available to distinguish and identify minerals. The optical properties
depend on the manner that visible light is transmitted through the crystal, and thus are dependent
on crystal structure, crystal symmetry, and chemical composition of the mineral.

In order to understand the optical properties of crystals we must first understand something
about light and how it interacts with matter.

Light

Light is electromagnetic radiation that has properties of waves. The electromagnetic spectrum
can be divided into several bands based on the wavelength. As we have discussed before, visible
light represents a narrow group of wavelengths between about 380 nm and 730 nm.

Our eyes interpret these wavelengths as different colors. If only a single wavelength or limited
range of wavelengths are present and enter our eyes, they are interpreted as a certain color. If a
single wavelength is present we say that we have monochromatic light. If all wavelengths of
visible light are present, our eyes interpret this as white light. If no wavelengths in the visible
range are present, we interpret this as dark.

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Interaction of Light with Matter

Velocity of Light and Refractive Index

The energy of light is related to its frequency and velocity as follows:

E = hν = hC/λ

where E = energy
h = Planck's constant, 6.62517 x 10-27 erg.sec
ν = frequency
C = velocity of light = 2.99793 x 1010 cm/sec
λ = wavelength

The velocity of light, C, in a vacuum is 2.99793 x 1010cm/sec. Light cannot travel faster than
this, but if it travels through a substance, its velocity will decrease. Note that from the equation
given above-

C = νλ

The frequency of vibration, ν, remains constant when the light passes through a substance.
Thus, if the velocity, C, is reduced on passage through a substance, the wavelength, λ, must also
decrease.

We here define refractive index, n, of a material or substance as the ratio of the speed of light in
a vacuum, C, to the speed of light in a material through which it passes, Cm.

n = C/Cm

Note that the value of refractive index will always be greater than 1.0, since Cm can never be
greater than C. In general, Cm depends on the density of the material, with Cm decreasing with
increasing density. Thus, higher density materials will have higher refractive indices.

The refractive index of any material depends on the wavelength of light because different
wavelengths are interfered with to different extents by the atoms that make up the material. In
general refractive index varies linearly with wavelength.

Materials can be divided into 2 classes based on how the velocity of light of a particular
wavelength varies in the material.

1. Materials whose refractive index not depend on the direction that the light travels are
called isotropic materials. In these materials the velocity of light does not depend on the
direction that the light travels. Isotropic materials have a single, constant refractive index
for each wavelength. Minerals that crystallize in the isometric system, by virtue of their
symmetry, are isotropic. Similarly, glass, gases, most liquids and amorphous solids are
isotropic.

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2. Materials whose refractive index does depend on the direction that the light travels are
called anisotropic materials. These types of materials will have a range of refractive
indices between two extreme values for each wavelength. Anisotropic materials can be
further divided into two subclasses, although the reasoning behind these subdivisions will
become clear in a later lecture.

a. Minerals that crystallize in the tetragonal and hexagonal crystal systems (as well as
some plastics) are uniaxial and are characterized by 2 extreme refractive indices for
each wavelength.

b. Minerals that crystallize in the triclinic, monoclinic, and orthorhombic crystal

systems are biaxial and are characterized by 3 refractive indices, one of which is
intermediate between the other two.

Air, since it is a gas, is isotropic. The refractive index of air is usually taken as 1.0, although its
true value is 1.0003.

Reflection and Refraction of Light

When light strikes an interface between two substances with different refractive indices, two
things occur. An incident ray of light striking the interface at an angle, i, measured between a
line perpendicular to the interface and the propagation direction of the incident ray, will be
reflected off the interface at the same angle, i. In other words the angle of reflection is equal to
the angle of incidence.
If the second substance is transparent to light, then a ray of
light will enter the substance with different refractive index,
and will be refracted, or bent, at an angle r, the angle of
refraction. The angle of refraction is dependent on the angle
of incidence and the refractive index of the materials on either
side of the interface according to Snell's Law:

ni sin (i) = nr sin (r)

Note that if the angle of incidence is 0o (i.e. the light enters

perpendicular to the interface) that some of the light will be
reflected directly back, and the refracted ray will continue
along the same path. This can be seen from Snell's law, since
sin(0o) = 0, making sin (r) = 0, and resulting in r = 0.

There is also an angle, ic, called the critical angle for total internal reflection where the
refracted ray travels along the interface between the two substances.

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This occurs when the angle r = 90o. In this case, applying

Snell's law:

ni sin (ic) = nr sin (90o) = nr [since sin (90o) = 1]

sin (ic) = nr/ni

Dispersion of Light

The fact that refractive indices differ for each wavelength of light produces an effect called
dispersion. This can be seen by shining a beam of white light into a triangular prism made of
glass. White light entering such a prism will be refracted in the prism by different angles
depending on the wavelength of the light.
The refractive index for longer wavelengths (red)
are lower than those for shorter wavelengths
(violet). This results in the a greater angle of
refraction for the longer wavelengths than for the
shorter wavelengths. (Shown here are the paths
taken for a wavelength of 800 nm, angle r800 and
for a wavelength of 300 nm, angle r300 ). When the
light exits from the other side of the prism, we see
the different wavelengths dispersed to show the
different colors of the spectrum.
Absorption of Light

When light enters a transparent material some of its energy is dissipated as heat energy, and it
thus looses some of its intensity. When this absorption of energy occurs selectively for
different wavelengths of light, they light that gets transmitted through the material will show
only those wavelengths of light that are not absorbed. The transmitted wavelengths will then
be seen as color, called the absorption color of the material.
For example, if we measure the intensity of
light, Io, for each wavelength before it is
transmitted through a material, and measure the
intensity, I, for each wavelength after it has
passed through the material, and plot I/Io versus
wavelength we obtain the absorption curve for
that material as shown here. The absorption
curve (continuous line) for the material in this
example shows that the light exiting the material
will have a yellow-green color, called the
absorption color. An opaque substance would
have an absorption curve such as that labeled
"Dark", i.e. no wavelengths would be
transmitted.

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Sunlight, on passing through the atmosphere has absorption curve as shown, thus we see it as
white light, since all wavelengths are present.

Polarization of Light

Normal light vibrates equally in all direction perpendicular to its path of propagation. If the
light is constrained to vibrate in only on plane, however, we say that it is plane polarized light.
The direction that the light vibrates is called the vibration direction, which for now will be
perpendicular to the direction. There are two common ways that light can become polarized.
z The first involves reflection off of a non-metallic
surface, such as glass or paint. An unpolarized beam
of light, vibrating in all directions perpendicular to its
path strikes such a surface and is reflected. The
reflected beam will be polarized with vibration
directions parallel to the reflecting surface
(perpendicular to the page as indicated by the open
circles on the ray path). If some of this light also
enters the material and is refracted at an angle 90o to
the path of the reflected ray, it too will become
partially polarized, with vibration directions again
perpendicular to the path of the refracted ray, but in
the plane perpendicular to the direction of vibration in
the reflected ray (the plane of the paper, as shown in
the drawing).
z Polarization can also be achieved by passing the light through a substance that absorbs
light vibrating in all directions except one. Anisotropic crystals have this property in
certain directions, called privileged directions, and we will discuss these properties when
we discuss uniaxial and biaxial crystals. Crystals were used to produce polarized light in
microscopes built before about 1950. The device used to make polarized light in modern
microscopes is a Polaroid, a trade name for a plastic film made by the Polaroid
Corporation. A Polaroid consists of long-chain organic molecules that are aligned in one
direction an placed in a plastic sheet. They are placed close enough to form a closely
spaced linear grid, that allows the passage of light vibrating only in the same direction as
the grid. Light vibrating in all other directions is absorbed. Such a device is also called a
polarizer.

If a beam on non-polarized light encounters a polarizer, only light vibrating parallel to

the polarizing direction of the polarizer will be allowed to pass. The light coming out on

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the other side will then be plane polarized, and will be vibrating parallel to the polarizing
direction of the polarizer. If another polarizer with its polarization direction oriented
perpendicular to the first polarizer is placed in front of the beam of now polarized light,
then no light will penetrate the second polarizer. In this case we say that the light has
been extinguished.
Polaroid sunglasses use these same principles. For example, incoming solar radiation is
reflected off of the surface of the ocean or the painted hood of your car. Reflected light coming
off of either of these surfaces will be polarized such that the vibration directions are parallel to
the reflected surface, or approximately horizontal (as in the first method of polarization
discussed above). Polaroid sunglasses contain polarizers with the polarization direction
oriented vertically. Wearing such glasses will cut out all of the horizontally polarized light
reflecting off the water surface or hood of your car.

The Polarizing Microscope

In optical mineralogy we use a microscope called a polarizing microscope. Such a microscope

is equipped with two polarizers that are normally oriented so that their polarization directions
are perpendicular to one another.
Light from a light source located
below the tube and stage of the
microscope is initially unpolarized.
This light first passes through the
lower polarizer (usually just called
the polarizer), where it becomes
polarized such that the light is
vibrating from the users right to left.
These directions are referred to as
East (right and West (left). The light
then passes through a hole in the
rotatable stage of the microscope and
enters the lower lens, called the
objective lens.

Mounted within the microscope tube

is a second polarizer, called the
analyzer, that can be rotated or
pushed so that in can be in the light
path (inserted position) or not in the
light path (analyzer out position).
The analyzer has a polarization
direction exactly perpendicular to
that of the lower polarizer These
directions are usually referred to as
North - South. If the analyzer is in,
then the plane polarized light coming
from the lower polarizer will be
blocked, and no light will be
transmitted though the ocular lens
above.

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If the analyzer is out, so that it is not in the light path, then the polarized light will be
transmitted through the ocular lens.

Next time we will see how this microscope is used to examine isotropic substances and
determine their refractive indices.
Isotropic Substances

As discussed above, isotropic substance are those wherein the velocity of light or the refractive
index does not vary with direction in the substance. Substances such as gases, liquids, glasses,
and minerals that crystallize in the isometric crystal system are isotropic. We here introduce
the concept of the optical indicatrix then look at what we see when we look at isotropic
substances through the polarizing microscope. We then see how to determine the refractive
index of isotropic substances as a means to identify them, and then take a first look at uniaxial
materials.

The Isotropic Indicatrix

The concept of the optical indicatrix is important as a visual means of looking at the way
refractive index varies with direction in a substance. For isotropic minerals and substances the
indicatrix is pretty trivial, since the refractive index does not vary with direction.
The optical indicatrix is simply a three dimensional object
constructed by drawing vectors of length proportional to the
refractive index for light vibrating parallel to the vector direction
from a central point. The ends of all of the vectors are then
connected to form the indicatrix. For isotropic minerals the indicatrix
is a sphere as can be seen here. The indicatrix can be placed
anywhere within or on a crystal so long as the crystallographic
directions in the indicatrix are moved parallel to themselves. Again,
for the isotropic indicatrix, this is fairly trivial since the refractive
indices do not correspond to crystallographic directions and the
refractive indices are the same in all directions, but the usefulness of
the indicatrix concept will become much more clear when we look at
anisotropic substances.

Isotropic Substances and Polarized Light

As discussed last time, the polarizing microscope has two polarizers. The lower polarizer
(often just called the polarizer) is above the light source, and thus creates polarized light that
vibrates in the East West direction. The upper polarizer, called the analyzer, is polarized to
create polarized light vibrating at 90o to that produced by the lower polarizer. Thus, if there is
only air, an isotropic substance, between the two polarizers, the E-W vibrating light is
completely eliminated at the analyzer, and no light passes through the ocular lens. Isotropic
substances do not change the vibration direction of light as the light passes through the
substance.

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So, if we place a mineral grain on a

glass slide (glass is also isotropic), and
view the grain through the ocular lens
with the analyzer not inserted in the
light path, we will be able to clearly see
the grain. If the grain selectively
absorbs light of certain wavelengths,
then the grain will show its absorption
color.

If we now insert the analyzer in the

light path, the light coming out of the
grain will still be polarized in an E-W
direction, since isotropic substances do
not change the polarization direction,
and the analyzer will cut out all of this
light. Thus, no light coming out of the
mineral grain will pass through the
analyzer. The mineral is thus said to be
extinct in this position.

Similarly, if we rotate the stage of the

microscope, and thus rotate the grain, it
will remain extinct for all rotation
positions. (of course this is also true
for the glass slide on which the grain
rests, since glass is also isotropic).
This is the primary means to determine whether or not a substance is isotropic. That is, rotate
the grain on the microscope stage with the analyzer inserted. If the grain remains extinct
throughout a 360o rotation of the stage, then the mineral or substance on the microscope
stage is probably isotropic.
Determination of Refractive Index for Isotropic Solids:The Immersion Method

In isotropic substances, there are only two optical properties that can be determined. One of
these is the absorption color, as discussed above. The other is the refractive index. Tables of
refractive indices for isotropic minerals, list only the refractive index for one wavelength of
light. The wavelength chosen is 589 nm, which corresponds to a yellow color. Such a
wavelength would be given off of a sodium vapor lamp. Since these are expensive and
generate much heat, sodium vapor lamps are not generally used in optical mineralogy. Instead
we use white light. Still, as we shall see later, we can determine the refractive index for 589
nm.

The determination of the refractive index of an isotropic substance is made by making a

comparison with a substance of known refractive index. The comparison materials used are
called refractive index oils. These are smelly organic oils that are calibrated over a range of
refractive indices from 1.430 to 1.740 at intervals of 0.005. As you will see in lab, grains of the
unknown substance are placed on a glass slide, a cover glass is placed over the grains, and a
refractive index oil is introduced to completely surround the grains. This is called the
immersion method.

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The grains are then observed with the analyzer

not inserted. If the grain has a refractive index
that is very much different from the refractive
index of the oil, then the grain boundaries will
stand out strongly next to the surrounding oil.
The grain will then be said to show high relief
relative to the oil. High relief indicates that the
refractive index of the grain is very much
different from the refractive index of the oil.
It does not tell us if the refractive index of the
grain is less than or greater than the oil.
If the refractive index of the grain and the oil are closer, then the outline of the grain will not
stand out as much from the oil. In this case, the grain is said to low relief relative to the oil.
Again, low relief only indicates that the grain and oil have similar refractive indices, and does
not indicate that the grain as a lower or higher refractive index than the oil.

If the refractive index of the grain is exactly the same as the refractive index of the oil, the
boundaries of the grain will not be visible. That is to say that the grain will completely
disappear in the oil. In this case the grain is said to have no relief relative to the oil.

In order to determine whether the grain or the oil has a higher refractive index, a method called
the Becke Line Method is used.

The Becke Line Method

A grain surrounded by oil when viewed through the microscope focused slightly above the
position of sharpest focus will display two lines, one dark and one bright that concentric with
the border of the grain. The brighter of these lines is called the Becke line and will always
occur closest to the substance with a higher refractive index. This can be used to determine if
the grain or the oil has the higher refractive index.
To use this method, one first focuses the microscope
as sharply as possible on the grain of interest. It is
also useful to use the iris diaphragm to cut down the
incoming light as much as possible. This will make
the Becke line stand out better. Then using the fine
focus dial adjustment the microscope stage is
lowered (or the objective lens is raised) slightly out
of focus. During this increase in focal distance one
observes a moving bright Becke line. If the Becke
line moves inward, the refractive index of the grain is
greater than the refractive index of the oil.

It is important to remember that the Becke line test is

performed by increasing the distance between the
grain and the objective lens. Thus, you should not
memorize which way to turn the focusing knob,
because it may be different with different brands of
microscopes.

Note also that if the focal distance is decreased, rather than increased, then the opposite results

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will be obtained, that is with decreasing focal distance the bright Becke line will move into the
substance with lower refractive index.
For a grain with a refractive index less than that of the
oil, the opposite effect will be observed. When raising
the objective lens or lowering the stage so that the
grain goes slightly out of focus, if the bright Becke
line moves into the oil, then the oil has a refractive
index greater than that of the grain.

This method can thus be used to start to narrow down

the refractive index of the grain. For example, lets say
that we first put grains of an unknown mineral in an
oil with a refractive index of 1.540. In this oil, let's
say the Becke line test shows that the oil has a higher
refractive index than the grain. We could then choose
for our next test to put the unknown grains in an oil
with a lower refractive index. If the relief is very
high, then we would know to choose an oil with a
much smaller refractive index.
Thus, by performing several tests in several different oils, we could eventually find an oil that
has a refractive index that exactly matches that of the grain. In such a case the grain would
have no relief relative to the oil and would thus disappear in the oil.

But, this would not necessarily be true of the Becke lines. Recall from above that we said that
refractive indices for grains (and also oils) are reported for a specific wavelength of light. That
wavelength is 589 nm, which corresponds to yellow. Since we are using white light as an
illuminator for our grain, the Becke line will be different for different wavelengths or colors of
light.

This can be seen by examination of dispersion

chart, as shown here. This is simply a plot of
refractive index versus wavelength. Typical oils
used in optical mineralogy generally show a
dispersion curve with a steeper slope than that
of minerals. Thus, when we have an exact
match of refractive index between the grain and
the oil for yellow light, we will still see a
orange to red colored Becke line that will be
move into the grain, and blue to violet colored
Becke line that will move into the oil.

One other property we can determine for all minerals (including anisotropic minerals) is
cleavage or fracture. This can be seen because it is usually necessary to crush or break
minerals to obtain a size suitable for mounting in oils. This property can best be seen with the
analyzer not inserted.

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Minerals or glasses that show concoidal fracture will have

curved grain boundaries. If a single cleavage direction is
present, then it will show as parallel grain boundaries.
Sometimes, the cleavages can be seen as breaks within a
grain as well, although this is more common in thin sections
than in grain mounts. Two cleavage directions will show as
intersecting straight sided grain boundaries. Three or more
cleavage directions should be visible as well, but it must be
remembered that the microscope view is nearly 2-
dimensional, so you may be able to see only 2 cleavage
directions at once.

Summary of Observations of Isotropic Minerals

z Absorption color if present (analyzer out)

z Cleavage or fracture if present (analyzer out)

z Isotropic Character - with the analyzer inserted, the grain will be extinct during a
complete 360o rotation of the microscope stage.

z Relief relative to oil (analyzer out)

{ high relief indicates that the oil and the grains have very different refractive indices

{ low relief indicates that the oil and grain have refractive indices that are closer

{ no relief indicates that the oil and grain have the same refractive indices

z Refractive Index Determination (analyzer out) - use the Becke Line test to narrow the
difference between the refractive index of the unknown mineral and an oil until an exact
match is made between the indices of the grain and the oil. An exact match will make
the grain disappear in the oil and the Becke line test will show a orange - red Becke line
moving into the grain and a blue - violet Becke line moving into the oil.

Next time we will look at the class of anisotropic minerals called uniaxial minerals.

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