Optical constants
Refractive index of 5CB (4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl)
Li et al. 2005: n(o) 0.450–0.656 µm
- Data
- formula 5
- Range
- 0.45–0.656 µm
- Temperature
- 298 K
- Optical axis
- o
- Licence
- CC0-1.0
Uniaxial crystal, axes: oe
Plot
Click the plot to set the calculator wavelength.
At one wavelength
- Refractive index n
- 1.53567
- Extinction coefficient k
- 0
- Permittivity ε1
- 2.35829
- Permittivity ε2
- 0
- Absorption coefficient α
- 0 cm⁻¹
- Penetration depth δ = λ/(2πk)
- — nm
- Abbe number Vd
- —
- Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ
- -0.0969427 µm⁻¹
- Group index ng
- 1.59263
- Group velocity dispersion
- 233.681 fs²/mm
- Dispersion parameter D
- -1274.85 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(o) 0.450–0.656 µm
mat = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("other", "5CB", "Li-o", 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.
import json, urllib.request
import lightsmith as ls
url = "https://materials.lightsmith.dev/v1/datasets/ds_4679f00b89d9/lightsmith"
mat = ls.Tabulated.model_validate(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(url)))
print(mat.source) # citation and provenance travel with the data
Any dataset here, as the library's Tabulated material (5cb/li-2005-o).
# ... load mat as above, then:
sim = ls.Simulation(
particles=[ls.Particle(shape=ls.Sphere(radius_nm=50), material=mat)],
medium_index=1.0,
wavelengths=ls.WavelengthRange(start_nm=450, stop_nm=656, num=81),
)
res = ls.solve(sim) # exact Mie for a sphere
print(res.q_ext) # extinction efficiency at each wavelength
Same spec runs with DDA, FDTD, BEM or T-matrix: ls.compare(sim, ["mie", "dda"]).
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 µmValid from 0.45 to 0.656 µm.
Coefficients as stored
| Ci | Value |
|---|---|
| C1 | 1.5139 |
| C2 | 0.0052 |
| C3 | -2.0 |
| C4 | 0.0008 |
| C5 | -4.0 |
Comments and conditions
Conditions
- temperature
- 298 K
- direction
- o
References
- doi:10.1109/jdt.2005.853357 Refractive Indices of Liquid Crystals for Display Applications, Journal of Display Technology (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| λ (µm) | n |
|---|---|
| 0.45 | 1.559088 |
| 0.450425 | 1.558966 |
| 0.450851 | 1.558845 |
| 0.451277 | 1.558723 |
| 0.451704 | 1.558602 |
| 0.45213 | 1.558482 |
| 0.452558 | 1.558361 |
| 0.452985 | 1.558242 |
| 0.453414 | 1.558122 |
| 0.453842 | 1.558003 |
| 0.454271 | 1.557884 |
| 0.4547 | 1.557766 |
| 0.45513 | 1.557648 |
| 0.45556 | 1.55753 |
| 0.455991 | 1.557413 |
| 0.456422 | 1.557296 |
| 0.456853 | 1.557179 |
| 0.457285 | 1.557063 |
| 0.457717 | 1.556947 |
| 0.45815 | 1.556831 |
| 0.458583 | 1.556716 |
| 0.459016 | 1.556601 |
| 0.45945 | 1.556487 |
| 0.459884 | 1.556372 |
| 0.460319 | 1.556259 |
| 0.460754 | 1.556145 |
| 0.461189 | 1.556032 |
| 0.461625 | 1.555919 |
| 0.462061 | 1.555806 |
| 0.462498 | 1.555694 |
| 0.462935 | 1.555582 |
| 0.463373 | 1.555471 |
| 0.463811 | 1.55536 |
| 0.464249 | 1.555249 |
| 0.464688 | 1.555139 |
| 0.465127 | 1.555028 |
| 0.465566 | 1.554919 |
| 0.466006 | 1.554809 |
| 0.466447 | 1.5547 |
| 0.466888 | 1.554591 |
| 0.467329 | 1.554482 |
| 0.467771 | 1.554374 |
| 0.468213 | 1.554266 |
| 0.468655 | 1.554159 |
| 0.469098 | 1.554052 |
| 0.469541 | 1.553945 |
| 0.469985 | 1.553838 |
| 0.470429 | 1.553732 |
| 0.470874 | 1.553626 |
| 0.471319 | 1.55352 |
| 0.471764 | 1.553415 |
| 0.47221 | 1.55331 |
| 0.472657 | 1.553205 |
| 0.473103 | 1.553101 |
| 0.47355 | 1.552997 |
| 0.473998 | 1.552893 |
| 0.474446 | 1.55279 |
| 0.474894 | 1.552686 |
| 0.475343 | 1.552584 |
| 0.475792 | 1.552481 |
| 0.476242 | 1.552379 |
| 0.476692 | 1.552277 |
| 0.477143 | 1.552175 |
| 0.477594 | 1.552074 |
| 0.478045 | 1.551973 |
| 0.478497 | 1.551872 |
| 0.478949 | 1.551772 |
| 0.479402 | 1.551672 |
| 0.479855 | 1.551572 |
| 0.480308 | 1.551472 |
| 0.480762 | 1.551373 |
| 0.481217 | 1.551274 |
| 0.481671 | 1.551175 |
| 0.482127 | 1.551077 |
| 0.482582 | 1.550979 |
| 0.483038 | 1.550881 |
| 0.483495 | 1.550784 |
| 0.483952 | 1.550687 |
| 0.484409 | 1.55059 |
| 0.484867 | 1.550493 |
| 0.485325 | 1.550397 |
| 0.485784 | 1.550301 |
| 0.486243 | 1.550205 |
| 0.486703 | 1.550109 |
| 0.487162 | 1.550014 |
| 0.487623 | 1.549919 |
| 0.488084 | 1.549825 |
| 0.488545 | 1.54973 |
| 0.489007 | 1.549636 |
| 0.489469 | 1.549542 |
| 0.489932 | 1.549449 |
| 0.490395 | 1.549356 |
| 0.490858 | 1.549263 |
| 0.491322 | 1.54917 |
| 0.491786 | 1.549077 |
| 0.492251 | 1.548985 |
| 0.492716 | 1.548893 |
| 0.493182 | 1.548802 |
| 0.493648 | 1.54871 |
| 0.494115 | 1.548619 |
| 0.494582 | 1.548528 |
| 0.495049 | 1.548438 |
| 0.495517 | 1.548348 |
| 0.495985 | 1.548258 |
| 0.496454 | 1.548168 |
| 0.496923 | 1.548078 |
| 0.497393 | 1.547989 |
| 0.497863 | 1.5479 |
| 0.498333 | 1.547811 |
| 0.498804 | 1.547723 |
| 0.499276 | 1.547635 |
| 0.499748 | 1.547547 |
| 0.50022 | 1.547459 |
| 0.500693 | 1.547372 |
| 0.501166 | 1.547285 |
| 0.501639 | 1.547198 |
| 0.502114 | 1.547111 |
| 0.502588 | 1.547025 |
| 0.503063 | 1.546939 |
| 0.503539 | 1.546853 |
| 0.504014 | 1.546767 |
| 0.504491 | 1.546682 |
| 0.504968 | 1.546596 |
| 0.505445 | 1.546512 |
| 0.505923 | 1.546427 |
| 0.506401 | 1.546343 |
| 0.506879 | 1.546258 |
| 0.507358 | 1.546174 |
| 0.507838 | 1.546091 |
| 0.508318 | 1.546007 |
| 0.508798 | 1.545924 |
| 0.509279 | 1.545841 |
| 0.50976 | 1.545759 |
| 0.510242 | 1.545676 |
| 0.510724 | 1.545594 |
| 0.511207 | 1.545512 |
| 0.51169 | 1.54543 |
| 0.512174 | 1.545349 |
| 0.512658 | 1.545267 |
| 0.513142 | 1.545186 |
| 0.513627 | 1.545106 |
| 0.514113 | 1.545025 |
| 0.514599 | 1.544945 |
| 0.515085 | 1.544865 |
| 0.515572 | 1.544785 |
| 0.516059 | 1.544705 |
| 0.516547 | 1.544626 |
| 0.517035 | 1.544547 |
| 0.517524 | 1.544468 |
| 0.518013 | 1.544389 |
| 0.518502 | 1.544311 |
| 0.518992 | 1.544232 |
| 0.519483 | 1.544154 |
| 0.519974 | 1.544076 |
| 0.520465 | 1.543999 |
| 0.520957 | 1.543921 |
| 0.521449 | 1.543844 |
| 0.521942 | 1.543767 |
| 0.522435 | 1.543691 |
| 0.522929 | 1.543614 |
| 0.523423 | 1.543538 |
| 0.523918 | 1.543462 |
| 0.524413 | 1.543386 |
| 0.524909 | 1.543311 |
| 0.525405 | 1.543235 |
| 0.525902 | 1.54316 |
| 0.526399 | 1.543085 |
| 0.526896 | 1.543011 |
| 0.527394 | 1.542936 |
| 0.527892 | 1.542862 |
| 0.528391 | 1.542788 |
| 0.528891 | 1.542714 |
| 0.529391 | 1.54264 |
| 0.529891 | 1.542567 |
| 0.530392 | 1.542493 |
| 0.530893 | 1.54242 |
| 0.531395 | 1.542348 |
| 0.531897 | 1.542275 |
| 0.5324 | 1.542203 |
| 0.532903 | 1.54213 |
| 0.533406 | 1.542059 |
| 0.533911 | 1.541987 |
| 0.534415 | 1.541915 |
| 0.53492 | 1.541844 |
| 0.535426 | 1.541773 |
| 0.535932 | 1.541702 |
| 0.536438 | 1.541631 |
| 0.536945 | 1.54156 |
| 0.537453 | 1.54149 |
| 0.537961 | 1.54142 |
| 0.538469 | 1.54135 |
| 0.538978 | 1.54128 |
| 0.539487 | 1.541211 |
| 0.539997 | 1.541141 |
| 0.540508 | 1.541072 |
| 0.541018 | 1.541003 |
| 0.54153 | 1.540935 |
| 0.542042 | 1.540866 |
| 0.542554 | 1.540798 |
| 0.543067 | 1.540729 |
| 0.54358 | 1.540662 |
| 0.544094 | 1.540594 |
| 0.544608 | 1.540526 |
| 0.545122 | 1.540459 |
| 0.545638 | 1.540392 |
| 0.546153 | 1.540325 |
| 0.546669 | 1.540258 |
| 0.547186 | 1.540191 |
| 0.547703 | 1.540125 |
| 0.548221 | 1.540058 |
| 0.548739 | 1.539992 |
| 0.549258 | 1.539927 |
| 0.549777 | 1.539861 |
| 0.550296 | 1.539795 |
| 0.550816 | 1.53973 |
| 0.551337 | 1.539665 |
| 0.551858 | 1.5396 |
| 0.55238 | 1.539535 |
| 0.552902 | 1.539471 |
| 0.553424 | 1.539406 |
| 0.553947 | 1.539342 |
| 0.554471 | 1.539278 |
| 0.554995 | 1.539214 |
| 0.555519 | 1.53915 |
| 0.556044 | 1.539087 |
| 0.55657 | 1.539024 |
| 0.557096 | 1.538961 |
| 0.557622 | 1.538898 |
| 0.558149 | 1.538835 |
| 0.558677 | 1.538772 |
| 0.559205 | 1.53871 |
| 0.559733 | 1.538648 |
| 0.560262 | 1.538586 |
| 0.560792 | 1.538524 |
| 0.561322 | 1.538462 |
| 0.561852 | 1.5384 |
| 0.562383 | 1.538339 |
| 0.562915 | 1.538278 |
| 0.563447 | 1.538217 |
| 0.563979 | 1.538156 |
| 0.564512 | 1.538095 |
| 0.565046 | 1.538035 |
| 0.56558 | 1.537974 |
| 0.566114 | 1.537914 |
| 0.566649 | 1.537854 |
| 0.567185 | 1.537794 |
| 0.567721 | 1.537735 |
| 0.568258 | 1.537675 |
| 0.568795 | 1.537616 |
| 0.569332 | 1.537557 |
| 0.56987 | 1.537498 |
| 0.570409 | 1.537439 |
| 0.570948 | 1.53738 |
| 0.571488 | 1.537322 |
| 0.572028 | 1.537263 |
| 0.572568 | 1.537205 |
| 0.573109 | 1.537147 |
| 0.573651 | 1.537089 |
| 0.574193 | 1.537032 |
| 0.574736 | 1.536974 |
| 0.575279 | 1.536917 |
| 0.575823 | 1.53686 |
| 0.576367 | 1.536803 |
| 0.576912 | 1.536746 |
| 0.577457 | 1.536689 |
| 0.578003 | 1.536632 |
| 0.578549 | 1.536576 |
| 0.579096 | 1.53652 |
| 0.579643 | 1.536464 |
| 0.580191 | 1.536408 |
| 0.580739 | 1.536352 |
| 0.581288 | 1.536296 |
| 0.581837 | 1.536241 |
| 0.582387 | 1.536185 |
| 0.582938 | 1.53613 |
| 0.583489 | 1.536075 |
| 0.58404 | 1.53602 |
| 0.584592 | 1.535966 |
| 0.585144 | 1.535911 |
| 0.585697 | 1.535857 |
| 0.586251 | 1.535803 |
| 0.586805 | 1.535748 |
| 0.58736 | 1.535694 |
| 0.587915 | 1.535641 |
| 0.58847 | 1.535587 |
| 0.589027 | 1.535533 |
| 0.589583 | 1.53548 |
| 0.59014 | 1.535427 |
| 0.590698 | 1.535374 |
| 0.591256 | 1.535321 |
| 0.591815 | 1.535268 |
| 0.592375 | 1.535216 |
| 0.592934 | 1.535163 |
| 0.593495 | 1.535111 |
| 0.594056 | 1.535059 |
| 0.594617 | 1.535007 |
| 0.595179 | 1.534955 |
| 0.595742 | 1.534903 |
| 0.596305 | 1.534851 |
| 0.596868 | 1.5348 |
| 0.597432 | 1.534749 |
| 0.597997 | 1.534697 |
| 0.598562 | 1.534646 |
| 0.599128 | 1.534595 |
| 0.599694 | 1.534545 |
| 0.600261 | 1.534494 |
| 0.600828 | 1.534444 |
| 0.601396 | 1.534393 |
| 0.601964 | 1.534343 |
| 0.602533 | 1.534293 |
| 0.603103 | 1.534243 |
| 0.603673 | 1.534193 |
| 0.604243 | 1.534144 |
| 0.604814 | 1.534094 |
| 0.605386 | 1.534045 |
| 0.605958 | 1.533995 |
| 0.606531 | 1.533946 |
| 0.607104 | 1.533897 |
| 0.607678 | 1.533848 |
| 0.608252 | 1.5338 |
| 0.608827 | 1.533751 |
| 0.609402 | 1.533703 |
| 0.609978 | 1.533654 |
| 0.610555 | 1.533606 |
| 0.611132 | 1.533558 |
| 0.611709 | 1.53351 |
| 0.612287 | 1.533463 |
| 0.612866 | 1.533415 |
| 0.613445 | 1.533367 |
| 0.614025 | 1.53332 |
| 0.614605 | 1.533273 |
| 0.615186 | 1.533226 |
| 0.615768 | 1.533179 |
| 0.61635 | 1.533132 |
| 0.616932 | 1.533085 |
| 0.617515 | 1.533038 |
| 0.618099 | 1.532992 |
| 0.618683 | 1.532946 |
| 0.619268 | 1.532899 |
| 0.619853 | 1.532853 |
| 0.620439 | 1.532807 |
| 0.621025 | 1.532761 |
| 0.621612 | 1.532716 |
| 0.622199 | 1.53267 |
| 0.622787 | 1.532625 |
| 0.623376 | 1.532579 |
| 0.623965 | 1.532534 |
| 0.624555 | 1.532489 |
| 0.625145 | 1.532444 |
| 0.625736 | 1.532399 |
| 0.626327 | 1.532354 |
| 0.626919 | 1.53231 |
| 0.627512 | 1.532265 |
| 0.628105 | 1.532221 |
| 0.628698 | 1.532176 |
| 0.629293 | 1.532132 |
| 0.629887 | 1.532088 |
| 0.630483 | 1.532044 |
| 0.631079 | 1.532001 |
| 0.631675 | 1.531957 |
| 0.632272 | 1.531913 |
| 0.63287 | 1.53187 |
| 0.633468 | 1.531827 |
| 0.634066 | 1.531783 |
| 0.634666 | 1.53174 |
| 0.635265 | 1.531697 |
| 0.635866 | 1.531655 |
| 0.636467 | 1.531612 |
| 0.637068 | 1.531569 |
| 0.63767 | 1.531527 |
| 0.638273 | 1.531484 |
| 0.638876 | 1.531442 |
| 0.63948 | 1.5314 |
| 0.640084 | 1.531358 |
| 0.640689 | 1.531316 |
| 0.641295 | 1.531274 |
| 0.641901 | 1.531232 |
| 0.642508 | 1.531191 |
| 0.643115 | 1.531149 |
| 0.643723 | 1.531108 |
| 0.644331 | 1.531067 |
| 0.64494 | 1.531026 |
| 0.645549 | 1.530984 |
| 0.64616 | 1.530944 |
| 0.64677 | 1.530903 |
| 0.647381 | 1.530862 |
| 0.647993 | 1.530821 |
| 0.648606 | 1.530781 |
| 0.649219 | 1.530741 |
| 0.649832 | 1.5307 |
| 0.650446 | 1.53066 |
| 0.651061 | 1.53062 |
| 0.651677 | 1.53058 |
| 0.652292 | 1.53054 |
| 0.652909 | 1.530501 |
| 0.653526 | 1.530461 |
| 0.654144 | 1.530421 |
| 0.654762 | 1.530382 |
| 0.655381 | 1.530343 |
| 0.656 | 1.530303 |
Optical transmission calculator
Free-standing sample in vacuum, normal incidence- Transmittance T
- —
- Reflectance R
- —
Fresnel reflection calculator
- Rp
- —
- Rs
- —
- R = (Rp+Rs)/2
- —
- Phase φp
- —
- Phase φs
- —
- Brewster angle θB
- —
- Critical angle θC
- —
25 °C. Ordinary ray (o).