7. Special microscopy methods

7.1 Polarizing microscope

This microscope is used to study transparent (or thin-cut) birefringent or reflective biabsorbent objects. It is of particular interest in mineralogy, crystallography, petrography and paleontology, and is also a source of information in metallography, chemistry and the entire biomedical sector. It can be used to identify the crystals that make up or are included in an object, their orientation in connection to the observation plane, to detect and locate stresses, and to assess the behavior of materials. Designed as a measuring instrument, it delivers quantitative information. Its vast field, based on the interaction of matter with polarized light, includes determining the sign and measuring birefringence (the difference between extraordinary and ordinary refractive...