Before revision: The optical properties of matter include: Refraction and the material's refraction index Polarization Reflection and the material's albedo or reflectance Absorption Photoluminescence (fluorescence) Transmittance Diffraction Dispersion Dichroism Scattering Birefringence Color Photosensitivity A basic distinction is between isotropic materials, which exhibit the same properties regardless of the direction of the light, and anisotropic ones, which exhibit different properties when light passes through them in different directions.
After revision: The optical properties of matter include: Refraction and the material's refraction index Reflection and the material's albedo or reflectance Absorption Photoluminescence (fluorescence) Transmittance Dispersion Dichroism Scattering Birefringence Color Photosensitivity A basic distinction is between isotropic materials, which exhibit the same properties regardless of the direction of the light, and anisotropic ones, which exhibit different properties when light passes through them in different directions.