Optical amplifier and method for amplifying optical polarization state change effects

In a liquid chromatography system comprising a cell for containing a liquid chromatography sample and an apparatus for analyzing the sample in said cell for optical activity, the improvement comprising said apparatus including an optical amplifier for amplifying optical polarization state change effects, said amplifier including means for providing polarized light and means for passing at least a portion of said polarized light through a sample in said cell a plurality of times such that changes in the polarization state of the polarized light through said material are cumulative, wherein said means for passing includes means for reflecting at least a portion of said polarized light back and forth on itself a plurality of times along an optic axis which extends through said material thereby forming an optical cavity, and wherein said means for passing inverts the polarization state of the polarized light between passes through said material so that the changes in the polarization state in successive passes are cumulative.

A method for detecting optical polarization state change effects comprising the steps of providing polarized light, passing at least a portion of the polarized light through a material a plurality of times such that changes in the polarization state of the polarized light from the respective passes of the light through said material are cumulative, and detecting polarized light which has passed through said material, wherein said step of passing polarized light through said material a plurality of times comprises reflecting light back and forth on itself a plurality of times along an optic axis which extends through said material thereby forming an optical cavity and inverting the polarization state of the polarized light between passes through said material so that the changes in the polarization state in successive passes are cumulative.

An optical amplifier for amplifying optical polarization state change effects comprising means for providing polarized light and means for passing at least a portion of said polarized light through a material a plurality of times such that changes in polarization state of the polarized light from the respective passes of the light through said material are cumulative, wherein said means for passing includes means for reflecting at least a portion of said polarized light back and forth on itself a plurality of times along an optic axis which extends through said material thereby forming an optical cavity.