A new approach to the continuum theory of birefringence of oriented polymers

Abstract

The internal field in a transparent anisotropic dielectric is described with the aid of the classical electromagnetic theory by the introduction of the internal field or Lorentz-factor tensor. On the basis of the internal field equation generalized Lorentz-Lorenz relations are derived. A virtual refractive index in lieu of the mean refractive index is defined by the trace of the inverse susceptibility tensor. By the same token the harmonic mean replaces the arithmetic mean specific refractivity. The relation between birefringence, polarizability and structural anisotropy of the medium is formulated.