Studies of optical anisotropy in opals by normal incidence ellipsometry

Anisotropy of thin opal films was studied by ellipsometric technique in a visible spectral range. At normal light incidence, the ellipsometric data were directly related to anisotropy parameters measured by polarization modulation technique. In the (111)-oriented thin films, the optical anisotropy was mainly caused by internal strain-induced birefringence with anisotropy axes oriented along [110] and [-112] directions. The deviation from 180°-symmetry, which has been observed for ellipsometric parameters in the in-plane sample rotation experiments at normal incidence, was enhanced at oblique incidence and assigned to particular properties of opal. Experimental data were discussed in the model of stacked anisotropic layers.