birefringence
by-ri-FRIN-jens
Definition
The property of a material or vacuum to divide a ray of light into two separate rays with different polarizations, typically occurring when passing through an anisotropic medium or an extremely strong magnetic field.
Etymology
The word is derived from the prefix 'bi-' (meaning two) and the Latin 'fringere' (meaning to break), combined with the suffix '-ence'. It was coined to describe the optical phenomenon of double refraction discovered in the 17th century.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe a quantum effect where a magnetar's intense magnetic field alters the propagation and polarization of light traveling through a vacuum. This phenomenon provides crucial evidence for long-standing theories in quantum electrodynamics.
Observations of a magnetar have strengthened the evidence for a quantum effect in a vacuum
Read the full article ↗UA.NEWS