About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Characterization of Minerals, Metals and Materials 2026 - In-Situ Characterization Techniques
|
| Presentation Title |
Polarized light microscopy of optically anisotropic crystals: practical considerations for orientation measurements |
| Author(s) |
Thomas J. Nizolek, Rodney McCabe, Andrew Richards |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Thomas J. Nizolek |
| Abstract Scope |
The interaction of polarized light with matter is extremely sensitive to electronic structure and therefore the crystallographic orientation of optically anisotropic (non-cubic) crystals. Here we describe a lab-built rotational polarized light microscopy (RPLM) system that varies the incident light polarization angle with respect to the sample via stage rotations and discuss simple methods of assessing system performance (polarization orientation, camera sensor linearity, etc.). While the intensity versus rotation signal is frequently approximated as a simple sine wave, we will discuss how higher order harmonics become significant when the analyzer and polarizer are near fully crossed, complicating data fitting and leading to additional ambiguity in optical axis orientation beyond what is expected based on the symmetry of optical properties. Finally, we compare RPLM-derived and EBSD-measured c-axis orientations for optically uniaxial materials (e.g., titanium) and discuss the origins of RPLM inaccuracies observed at high and low values of the second Euler angle. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Characterization, Titanium, Other |