The behavior of optical rotation and elliptical polarization light of electrorheogical fluids

In this paper, the behaviors of optical rotation and elliptical polarization light of electrorheological fluids (ER Fluids) were investigated. The measurements have been made of He-Ne laser through suspensions of Si0 ₂ and Si₃N₄ in silicone oil. When electric field was applied perpendicular to the laser beam the optical rotation phenomenon of ER fluid was found. For the same concentration of ER fluids, the optical rotation angle increases with the electric field. In the effect of the same electric field when the concentration is lower, the optical rotation angle increases with the concentration. And when the concentration reaches the given value of c₀, the optical rotation angle decreases with the increase of the concentration. In the effect of the electric field the characteristics of elliptical polarization light which penetrates ER fluid does not change, and the transmission light intensity increases with the electric field. It is thought that the behavior of optical rotation and elliptical polarization light of ER fluids is due to the fact that ER fluid changes from isotropic fluid to anisotropic fluid in the effect of electric field.