Method for determining properties of optically isotropic and anisotropic materials

摘要

A method for optically determining the ratio of Poisson's ratio to modulus of elasticity for optically isotropic and optically anisotropic transparent materials and then for determining the stress- optical constants for such materials. A collimated monochromatic light beam is directed at the tip of a crack in a loaded thin plate specimen of the material and the diameters of the resulting transmitted and reflected caustics are measured at points equidistant from the specimen. The light beam also is directed to an uncracked region in a loaded thin plate specimen of the material and the number of displaced fringe reflected on a screen are counted for a predetermined change in loading. The ratio of Poisson's ratio to modulus of elasticity and the stress-optical constants are determined from the thickness of the specimen, the displaced fringe count, the wavelength of the light beam and the ratio of the caustic diameters.