Ellipsometry is an optical technique for investigating the dielectric properties of thin films. Ellipsometry measures the change of polarization upon reflection or transmission and compares it to a model.
An Ellipsometer at LAAS-CNRS in Toulouse, France.
In optics, the refractive index of an optical medium is a dimensionless number that gives the indication of the light bending ability of that medium.
Thomas Young coined the term index of refraction in 1807.
Diamonds have a very high refractive index of 2.417.
A split-ring resonator array arranged to produce a negative index of refraction for microwaves
In optical mineralogy, thin sections are used to study rocks. The method is based on the distinct refractive indices of different minerals.