菲涅耳偏振理论的形成

THE FORMATION OF PRESNEL’S POLARIZATION THEORY

菲涅耳将惠更斯理论和干涉原理结合起来，牢固地建立了光的波动理论的基础，它提供了光的直进、衍射的完整理论，提高了人们对光的波动性的信任，然而光的波动性对双折射或偏振现象是无能为力的，波动说的这一困惑是菲涅耳解决的。

Fresnel begun his brilliant revival of the wave theory. He synthesized the concepts of Huyrsens's wave descriptionand the interference principle. He was able to calculate the diffration patterns and satisfactorily accounted for rectilinearpropagation in homogeneous isotropic media.Huygens was aware of phenomenan of polarization arising in calcite crystals. He further developed this concept oflateral asymmetry. Yet it was not until 1808 that Etienne Louts Mallus discovered that this two-sideness of light becameapparent upon reflection as well. Fresnel and Arago then conducted a sends of experiments to determine the effect ofpolarization on interference. The two-sideness of light was then shoply a manifeStation of two orthogonal vibrations ofthe aether, transverse to the ray direction. Fresnel went on tO evolove a mechanistic description of aether oscillations,which led to his famous formulas for the amplitude of reflection and transmitted light.