Measurement of absorption coefficients for the ultraviolet polarized light in the iceland crystal

To study the absorption coefficients for the ultraviolet polarized light in the iceland crystal, two crystal samples in different length and width were manufactured. Using the dual beam path spectrometer and inserting polarizers whose polarization directions are parallel separately into the sample and the reference paths, the transmission spectra of the light passing through the crystal in different lengths were measured. Canceling out the losses on the crystal surfaces, the absorption coefficients of the o light and the e light in the ultraviolet region in both the crystal samples were achieved. The absorption coefficients of e light in the ultraviolet region are usually smaller than o light in the same crystal and as the wavelength gets shorter, their difference becomes larger. The absorption coefficient in the ultraviolet region varies greatly in the different crystals. The results show that it is important for making high performance ultraviolet polarizers to get the ultraviolet polarization spectra of the raw materials and to pick out the crystals with low absorption coefficients.