Holodiagrams in Birefringent Media

The modifications to the holodiagram concept to describe free propagation (the extraordinary ray) inside birefringent materials are described. Holodiagrams are graphs showing the loci where the sum or the difference in the optical path from a generic point to two foci is the same. The holodiagrams obtained in this way give the shape of the surfaces that satisfy Fermat ’s principle, conjugate by reflection of one focus into the other, and represent the interference fringes obtained if both points are coherent sources. The reflection law in birefringent media is investigated in relation to this diagram. One direction for the optical axis is considered: parallel to the line joining the source and the observation point. Quartz-type and calcite-type crystals are studied.