A soleil compensator for the far infrared

A Soleil compensator has been constructed of crystal quartz for use in the far infrared region. The dispersion in the birefringence has been measured between 60 μ and 170 μ. The dispersion of the 129-cm−1 absorption band which absorbs only the ordinary ray is clearly seen. The compensator may be used to produce a 90° phase shift between two normal electric vectors for wavelengths from 60 μ to 400 μ. The compensator has been tested also from 1.5 μ to 4.0 μ in the near infrared where the dispersion of the birefringence also has been measured.