Optical constants

Refractive index of 5CB (4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl)

Li et al. 2005: n(e) 0.450–0.656 µm

Data
formula 5
Range
0.45–0.656 µm
Temperature
298 K
Optical axis
e
Licence
CC0-1.0

Uniaxial crystal, axes: oe

Plot

Click the plot to set the calculator wavelength.

At one wavelength

Range 0.45–0.656 µm
Refractive index n
1.71439
Extinction coefficient k
0
Permittivity ε1
2.93914
Permittivity ε2
0
Absorption coefficient α
0 cm⁻¹
Penetration depth δ = λ/(2πk)
— nm
Abbe number Vd
—
Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ
-0.216894 µm⁻¹
Group index ng
1.84184
Group velocity dispersion
565.427 fs²/mm
Dispersion parameter D
-3084.7 ps/(nm·km)
Photon energy
2.11001 eV

ε = (n + ik)², α = 4πk/λ, ng = n − λ dn/dλ, GVD = λ³/(2πc²) d²n/dλ², D = −(λ/c) d²n/dλ². Group-velocity dispersion is given for formula data only.

Use it in Lightsmith

Load this data in Python, simulate in one more line

pip install lightsmith
import lightsmith as ls

# 5CB (4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl): Li et al. 2005: n(e) 0.450–0.656 µm
mat = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("other", "5CB", "Li-e", ref="c5c2f188e848453def5970e347399d653df2ffc2")
print(mat.range_nm)  # (450, 656) nm
eps = mat.eps([633])  # complex permittivity

Downloads the original record once (pinned to the imported snapshot) and caches it.

Lightsmith is open source (MIT): Mie, T-matrix, BEM, DDA, FDTD, RCWA, TMM, mode solvers and inverse design behind one spec, on CPU or GPU. GitHub.

Dispersion formula

Cauchy (formula 5), λ in µm
n=1.6708+0.0081⁢λ−2.0+0.0024⁢λ−4.0

Valid from 0.45 to 0.656 µm.

Coefficients as stored
CiValue
C11.6708
C20.0081
C3-2.0
C40.0024
C5-4.0

Comments and conditions

25 °C. Extraordinary ray (e).

Conditions

temperature
298 K
direction
e

References

J. Li, C. H. Wen, S. Gauza, R. Lu, S. T. Wu. Refractive indices of liquid crystals for display applications. J. Disp. Technol. 1, 51-61 (2005)

Cite

J. Li, C.-H. Wen, S. Gauza, R. Lu and S.-T. Wu. Refractive Indices of Liquid Crystals for Display Applications. Journal of Display Technology, 1, 51-61 (2005), doi:10.1109/jdt.2005.853357; Data from the refractiveindex.info database (M. N. Polyanskiy, Sci. Data 11, 94 (2024), doi:10.1038/s41597-023-02898-2)

Data

Computed on 400 wavelengths, the same grid as the API and the library
5CB (4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl), Li et al. 2005: n(e) 0.450–0.656 µm: n and k versus wavelength
λ (µm)n
0.451.769328
0.4504251.769031
0.4508511.768736
0.4512771.768442
0.4517041.768149
0.452131.767856
0.4525581.767565
0.4529851.767274
0.4534141.766985
0.4538421.766696
0.4542711.766409
0.45471.766122
0.455131.765836
0.455561.765552
0.4559911.765268
0.4564221.764985
0.4568531.764703
0.4572851.764422
0.4577171.764142
0.458151.763863
0.4585831.763584
0.4590161.763307
0.459451.763031
0.4598841.762755
0.4603191.76248
0.4607541.762207
0.4611891.761934
0.4616251.761662
0.4620611.761391
0.4624981.761121
0.4629351.760851
0.4633731.760583
0.4638111.760315
0.4642491.760049
0.4646881.759783
0.4651271.759518
0.4655661.759254
0.4660061.758991
0.4664471.758728
0.4668881.758467
0.4673291.758206
0.4677711.757946
0.4682131.757688
0.4686551.757429
0.4690981.757172
0.4695411.756916
0.4699851.75666
0.4704291.756405
0.4708741.756152
0.4713191.755899
0.4717641.755646
0.472211.755395
0.4726571.755144
0.4731031.754894
0.473551.754645
0.4739981.754397
0.4744461.75415
0.4748941.753903
0.4753431.753658
0.4757921.753413
0.4762421.753168
0.4766921.752925
0.4771431.752683
0.4775941.752441
0.4780451.7522
0.4784971.75196
0.4789491.75172
0.4794021.751481
0.4798551.751244
0.4803081.751006
0.4807621.75077
0.4812171.750534
0.4816711.7503
0.4821271.750066
0.4825821.749832
0.4830381.7496
0.4834951.749368
0.4839521.749137
0.4844091.748907
0.4848671.748677
0.4853251.748448
0.4857841.74822
0.4862431.747993
0.4867031.747766
0.4871621.747541
0.4876231.747315
0.4880841.747091
0.4885451.746867
0.4890071.746644
0.4894691.746422
0.4899321.746201
0.4903951.74598
0.4908581.74576
0.4913221.74554
0.4917861.745322
0.4922511.745104
0.4927161.744886
0.4931821.74467
0.4936481.744454
0.4941151.744239
0.4945821.744024
0.4950491.743811
0.4955171.743598
0.4959851.743385
0.4964541.743173
0.4969231.742962
0.4973931.742752
0.4978631.742542
0.4983331.742333
0.4988041.742125
0.4992761.741917
0.4997481.74171
0.500221.741504
0.5006931.741298
0.5011661.741093
0.5016391.740889
0.5021141.740685
0.5025881.740482
0.5030631.74028
0.5035391.740078
0.5040141.739877
0.5044911.739677
0.5049681.739477
0.5054451.739278
0.5059231.739079
0.5064011.738881
0.5068791.738684
0.5073581.738487
0.5078381.738291
0.5083181.738096
0.5087981.737901
0.5092791.737707
0.509761.737514
0.5102421.737321
0.5107241.737128
0.5112071.736937
0.511691.736746
0.5121741.736555
0.5126581.736366
0.5131421.736176
0.5136271.735988
0.5141131.7358
0.5145991.735612
0.5150851.735425
0.5155721.735239
0.5160591.735054
0.5165471.734869
0.5170351.734684
0.5175241.7345
0.5180131.734317
0.5185021.734134
0.5189921.733952
0.5194831.733771
0.5199741.73359
0.5204651.733409
0.5209571.73323
0.5214491.73305
0.5219421.732872
0.5224351.732694
0.5229291.732516
0.5234231.732339
0.5239181.732163
0.5244131.731987
0.5249091.731812
0.5254051.731637
0.5259021.731463
0.5263991.731289
0.5268961.731116
0.5273941.730944
0.5278921.730772
0.5283911.7306
0.5288911.730429
0.5293911.730259
0.5298911.730089
0.5303921.72992
0.5308931.729751
0.5313951.729583
0.5318971.729415
0.53241.729248
0.5329031.729082
0.5334061.728916
0.5339111.72875
0.5344151.728585
0.534921.728421
0.5354261.728257
0.5359321.728093
0.5364381.72793
0.5369451.727768
0.5374531.727606
0.5379611.727444
0.5384691.727283
0.5389781.727123
0.5394871.726963
0.5399971.726804
0.5405081.726645
0.5410181.726487
0.541531.726329
0.5420421.726171
0.5425541.726014
0.5430671.725858
0.543581.725702
0.5440941.725547
0.5446081.725392
0.5451221.725237
0.5456381.725083
0.5461531.72493
0.5466691.724777
0.5471861.724624
0.5477031.724472
0.5482211.724321
0.5487391.72417
0.5492581.724019
0.5497771.723869
0.5502961.723719
0.5508161.72357
0.5513371.723421
0.5518581.723273
0.552381.723125
0.5529021.722978
0.5534241.722831
0.5539471.722685
0.5544711.722539
0.5549951.722393
0.5555191.722248
0.5560441.722104
0.556571.72196
0.5570961.721816
0.5576221.721673
0.5581491.72153
0.5586771.721387
0.5592051.721246
0.5597331.721104
0.5602621.720963
0.5607921.720823
0.5613221.720682
0.5618521.720543
0.5623831.720403
0.5629151.720265
0.5634471.720126
0.5639791.719988
0.5645121.719851
0.5650461.719714
0.565581.719577
0.5661141.719441
0.5666491.719305
0.5671851.719169
0.5677211.719034
0.5682581.7189
0.5687951.718766
0.5693321.718632
0.569871.718499
0.5704091.718366
0.5709481.718233
0.5714881.718101
0.5720281.71797
0.5725681.717838
0.5731091.717707
0.5736511.717577
0.5741931.717447
0.5747361.717317
0.5752791.717188
0.5758231.717059
0.5763671.716931
0.5769121.716803
0.5774571.716675
0.5780031.716548
0.5785491.716421
0.5790961.716295
0.5796431.716168
0.5801911.716043
0.5807391.715917
0.5812881.715793
0.5818371.715668
0.5823871.715544
0.5829381.71542
0.5834891.715297
0.584041.715174
0.5845921.715051
0.5851441.714929
0.5856971.714807
0.5862511.714686
0.5868051.714564
0.587361.714444
0.5879151.714323
0.588471.714203
0.5890271.714084
0.5895831.713964
0.590141.713846
0.5906981.713727
0.5912561.713609
0.5918151.713491
0.5923751.713374
0.5929341.713257
0.5934951.71314
0.5940561.713023
0.5946171.712907
0.5951791.712792
0.5957421.712677
0.5963051.712562
0.5968681.712447
0.5974321.712333
0.5979971.712219
0.5985621.712105
0.5991281.711992
0.5996941.711879
0.6002611.711767
0.6008281.711655
0.6013961.711543
0.6019641.711431
0.6025331.71132
0.6031031.711209
0.6036731.711099
0.6042431.710989
0.6048141.710879
0.6053861.71077
0.6059581.710661
0.6065311.710552
0.6071041.710443
0.6076781.710335
0.6082521.710227
0.6088271.71012
0.6094021.710013
0.6099781.709906
0.6105551.7098
0.6111321.709693
0.6117091.709588
0.6122871.709482
0.6128661.709377
0.6134451.709272
0.6140251.709168
0.6146051.709063
0.6151861.708959
0.6157681.708856
0.616351.708753
0.6169321.70865
0.6175151.708547
0.6180991.708445
0.6186831.708343
0.6192681.708241
0.6198531.708139
0.6204391.708038
0.6210251.707938
0.6216121.707837
0.6221991.707737
0.6227871.707637
0.6233761.707537
0.6239651.707438
0.6245551.707339
0.6251451.70724
0.6257361.707142
0.6263271.707044
0.6269191.706946
0.6275121.706849
0.6281051.706751
0.6286981.706655
0.6292931.706558
0.6298871.706462
0.6304831.706366
0.6310791.70627
0.6316751.706174
0.6322721.706079
0.632871.705984
0.6334681.70589
0.6340661.705795
0.6346661.705701
0.6352651.705608
0.6358661.705514
0.6364671.705421
0.6370681.705328
0.637671.705235
0.6382731.705143
0.6388761.705051
0.639481.704959
0.6400841.704868
0.6406891.704777
0.6412951.704686
0.6419011.704595
0.6425081.704504
0.6431151.704414
0.6437231.704324
0.6443311.704235
0.644941.704145
0.6455491.704056
0.646161.703968
0.646771.703879
0.6473811.703791
0.6479931.703703
0.6486061.703615
0.6492191.703528
0.6498321.70344
0.6504461.703353
0.6510611.703267
0.6516771.70318
0.6522921.703094
0.6529091.703008
0.6535261.702922
0.6541441.702837
0.6547621.702752
0.6553811.702667
0.6561.702582

Optical transmission calculator

Free-standing sample in vacuum, normal incidence
Method
Transmittance T
—
Reflectance R
—

Fresnel reflection calculator

Direction
Rp
—
Rs
—
R = (Rp+Rs)/2
—
Phase φp
—
Phase φs
—
Brewster angle θB
—
Critical angle θC
—