Polarizing | Polarizing Key Words: diascopic, episcopic,
Pleochroism, birefringence, Bertrand lens, Michel Levy chart,
anisotropic, isotropic Definition:Polarized light microscopy
exploits the properties of polarized light to identify and
characterize the structure and properties of materials Polarized
light is created by passing light through a polarizing filter.
This transmits light in one direction only. There are two
polarizing filters in a polarizing microscope - above and below
the sample (the polarizer and analyzer). The way in which
materials interact with polarized light can provide information
about their structure and composition. Around 90% of all solid
substances have optical properties that vary with the
orientation of incident light (anisotropic materials). When
these anisotropic materials are rotated, the observer may see
brightness and / or color changes ('pleochroism') under
polarized light that depend on the orientation of the material
in the light path. These changes can be used to charact