The optical property of materials where light travels at different speeds depending on its polarization direction and path through the material.
From Latin 'bi-' (two) and 'fringent' (from 'fringere' to break). The term was formalized in the 19th century as physics terminology for this optical phenomenon.
Birefringence is the secret behind liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in phones and TVs—scientists learned to control how light bends in these materials, allowing pixels to become dark or light by rotating liquid crystals with electrical fields.
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