Specific features of waves in magnetic crystals

On the basis of the asymmetric velocity tensor introduced we develop an orthogonal representation of wave propagation in anisotropic magnetic dielectrics. Simple expressions are obtained for the direct dependence of polarization vectors, refractive indices, and phase and group velocities of isonormal waves in a magnetic dielectric on the vectors of principal velocities. We show that the presence of magnetic properties is manifested in the optical range in the fact that the velocities of wave propagation in uniaxial crystals are determined by three main refractive indices, and therefore, both waves except for specific directions become extraordinary, whereas in biaxial crystals (also because of a large number of parameters) the cones of internal and external refraction become elliptic. © Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers 1999.