Dispersion of the stress optic coefficient of the alkali halides

Abstract

The dispersion of the stress optic coefficient C=n³/2 (q₁₁−q₁₂) of the alkali halides, NaCl, KCl, KBr and KI have been measured from the visible to the ultraviolet region. In general the value of “C” decreases with wavelength for all crystals. While the dispersion is only a few per cent in the visible region of wavelengths, it is enormous in the ultraviolet. NaCl shows a dispersion of about 100% from 5800 to 2400 Å; KCl about 200% from 5000 to 2400 Å; KBr about 300% from 5000 to 2400 Å; and KI about 400% from 5000 to 2800 Å. Also the potassium halides exhibit a change in sign of their “C” values in the ultraviolet. In KCl the sign reversal occurs at about 2550 Å; in KBr at 2760 Å and in KI at 3380 Å. Below these wavelengths, the potassium halides belong to the same class inMueller's classification as sodium chloride. The theory ofRamaseshan andSivaramakrishnan based on the assumption that a stress causes a change in the frequencies and oscillator strengths of atoms is unable to explain the observed behaviour of the alkali halides. On the other hand, the mere variation of the ionic refractivities with wavelength is also unable to explain the observed dispersion onMueller's theory. One is forced to assume that the strain polarisability constantK inMueller's theory varies with wavelength. When “K” is calculated from the experimentally observed values of “C”, it is found to increase with decreasing wavelength for all alkali halides. The variation with wavelength of “K” for all the alkali halides can be fitted up well by a formula of the type given byRamaseshan andSivaramakrishnan. Hence it appears that the total dispersion ofC can be explained only when we take into account the variation with wavelength of 1. theLorentz andCoulomb contributions fromMueller's theory and 2. the strain polarisability constant fromRamaseshan andSivaramakrishnan's theory.