The Voigt effect is a magneto-optical phenomenon where a material becomes birefringent when placed in a magnetic field perpendicular to the direction of light propagation. Linearly polarized light passing through the medium undergoes a phase shift between its orthogonal components and becomes elliptically polarized. The effect size is proportional to the square of the magnetic field strength.
Heard on the job
We need to account for the Voigt effect in the atomic vapor cell since the magnetic field is transverse to the probe beam.
Also heard as
- magnetic linear birefringence
Do not mix it up with
- Magneto-optic effect: The Faraday effect occurs with a longitudinal magnetic field, while the Voigt effect requires a transverse magnetic field.