Optical constants of triclinic anisotropic crystals: blue vitriol

Abstract

The principal complex refractive indices for blue vitriol (chalcanthite) have been derived in the infrared region of the spectrum. These values were obtained by dispersion analysis of the reflection spectra of a cube of chalcanthite taken with the electric vector at three orthogonal orientations involving two orthogonal arbitrarily oriented faces. This derivation of the optical constants in terms of the dispersion parameters, taking account of axis wander, demonstrates that it is now possible for any crystalline substance to be analyzed regardless of crystal system.