Optical constants

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

Wu et al. 1993: n(e) 0.4–0.8 µm; 25.1 °C

Data
formula 6
Range
0.4–0.8 µm
Temperature
298.25 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 0.4–0.8 µm
Refractive index n
1.71709
Extinction coefficient k
0
Permittivity ε1
2.94838
Permittivity ε2
0
Absorption coefficient α
0 cm⁻¹
Penetration depth δ = λ/(2πk)
— nm
Abbe number Vd
16.672
Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ
-0.205599 µm⁻¹
Group index ng
1.8379
Group velocity dispersion
505.698 fs²/mm
Dispersion parameter D
-2758.85 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): Wu et al. 1993: n(e) 0.4–0.8 µm; 25.1 °C
mat = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("other", "5CB", "Wu-25.1C-e", ref="c5c2f188e848453def5970e347399d653df2ffc2")
print(mat.range_nm)  # (400, 800) 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

Gases (formula 6), λ in µm
n−1=0.4552+2.32522.6757−λ−2+1.39712.5748−λ−2

Valid from 0.4 to 0.8 µm.

Coefficients as stored
CiValue
C10.4552
C22.325
C322.6757
C41.397
C512.5748

Comments and conditions

25.1 °C. Extraordinary ray (e).

Conditions

temperature
298.25 K
direction
e

References

S. T. Wu, C. Wu, W. Warenghem, M. Ismaili. Refractive index dispersions of liquid crystals. Opt. Eng. 32, 1775-1780 (1993)

Cite

Shin-Tson Wu, ChiungSheng Wu, Marc Warenghem and M. Ismaili. Refractive index dispersions of liquid crystals. Optical Engineering, 32, 1775-1780 (1993), doi:10.1117/12.143988; 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), Wu et al. 1993: n(e) 0.4–0.8 µm; 25.1 °C: n and k versus wavelength
λ (µm)n
0.41.817623
0.4006951.816682
0.4013921.81575
0.402091.814826
0.4027891.813912
0.403491.813005
0.4041911.812108
0.4048941.811218
0.4055981.810336
0.4063031.809463
0.407011.808598
0.4077171.80774
0.4084261.80689
0.4091361.806048
0.4098481.805213
0.410561.804386
0.4112741.803566
0.4119891.802753
0.4127061.801947
0.4134231.801149
0.4141421.800357
0.4148621.799572
0.4155831.798795
0.4163061.798023
0.417031.797259
0.4177551.796501
0.4184811.795749
0.4192091.795004
0.4199381.794265
0.4206681.793532
0.4213991.792806
0.4221321.792085
0.4228661.791371
0.4236011.790662
0.4243381.789959
0.4250761.789262
0.4258151.788571
0.4265551.787885
0.4272971.787205
0.428041.786531
0.4287841.785862
0.4295291.785198
0.4302761.78454
0.4310241.783887
0.4317741.783239
0.4325251.782596
0.4332771.781958
0.434031.781326
0.4347851.780698
0.4355411.780075
0.4362981.779457
0.4370561.778844
0.4378161.778236
0.4385781.777632
0.439341.777033
0.4401041.776439
0.4408691.775849
0.4416361.775264
0.4424041.774683
0.4431731.774106
0.4439431.773534
0.4447151.772966
0.4454891.772403
0.4462631.771843
0.4470391.771288
0.4478161.770737
0.4485951.77019
0.4493751.769647
0.4501561.769108
0.4509391.768573
0.4517231.768042
0.4525081.767514
0.4532951.766991
0.4540831.766471
0.4548731.765955
0.4556641.765443
0.4564561.764935
0.457251.76443
0.4580451.763929
0.4588411.763431
0.4596391.762937
0.4604381.762446
0.4612391.761959
0.4620411.761475
0.4628441.760995
0.4636491.760518
0.4644551.760044
0.4652631.759574
0.4660721.759106
0.4668821.758643
0.4676941.758182
0.4685071.757724
0.4693211.75727
0.4701371.756819
0.4709551.75637
0.4717741.755925
0.4725941.755483
0.4734161.755044
0.4742391.754608
0.4750631.754174
0.4758891.753744
0.4767171.753317
0.4775461.752892
0.4783761.75247
0.4792081.752051
0.4800411.751635
0.4808761.751221
0.4817121.750811
0.4825491.750403
0.4833881.749997
0.4842291.749595
0.4850711.749194
0.4859141.748797
0.4867591.748402
0.4876051.74801
0.4884531.74762
0.4893031.747233
0.4901531.746848
0.4910061.746465
0.4918591.746086
0.4927141.745708
0.4935711.745333
0.4944291.74496
0.4952891.74459
0.496151.744222
0.4970131.743856
0.4978771.743493
0.4987431.743132
0.499611.742773
0.5004791.742416
0.5013491.742062
0.502221.74171
0.5030941.74136
0.5039681.741012
0.5048451.740667
0.5057221.740323
0.5066021.739982
0.5074831.739642
0.5083651.739305
0.5092491.73897
0.5101341.738637
0.5110211.738306
0.511911.737976
0.51281.737649
0.5136921.737324
0.5145851.737001
0.5154791.73668
0.5163761.736361
0.5172741.736043
0.5181731.735728
0.5190741.735414
0.5199761.735102
0.520881.734792
0.5217861.734484
0.5226931.734178
0.5236021.733874
0.5245131.733571
0.5254251.73327
0.5263381.732971
0.5272531.732674
0.528171.732378
0.5290881.732084
0.5300081.731792
0.530931.731502
0.5318531.731213
0.5327781.730926
0.5337041.73064
0.5346321.730357
0.5355621.730074
0.5364931.729794
0.5374261.729515
0.538361.729238
0.5392961.728962
0.5402341.728688
0.5411731.728415
0.5421141.728144
0.5430571.727874
0.5440011.727606
0.5449471.72734
0.5458941.727075
0.5468431.726811
0.5477941.726549
0.5487471.726289
0.5497011.72603
0.5506571.725772
0.5516141.725516
0.5525731.725261
0.5535341.725007
0.5544961.724755
0.555461.724505
0.5564261.724256
0.5573941.724008
0.5583631.723761
0.5593341.723516
0.5603061.723273
0.561281.72303
0.5622561.722789
0.5632341.722549
0.5642131.722311
0.5651941.722074
0.5661771.721838
0.5671611.721603
0.5681481.72137
0.5691351.721138
0.5701251.720907
0.5711161.720677
0.5721091.720449
0.5731041.720222
0.57411.719996
0.5750991.719771
0.5760991.719547
0.57711.719325
0.5781041.719104
0.5791091.718884
0.5801161.718665
0.5811241.718448
0.5821351.718231
0.5831471.718016
0.5841611.717802
0.5851771.717589
0.5861941.717377
0.5872131.717166
0.5882341.716956
0.5892571.716747
0.5902821.71654
0.5913081.716333
0.5923361.716128
0.5933661.715924
0.5943981.71572
0.5954311.715518
0.5964661.715317
0.5975041.715117
0.5985421.714918
0.5995831.71472
0.6006261.714523
0.601671.714327
0.6027161.714132
0.6037641.713938
0.6048141.713745
0.6058651.713552
0.6069191.713361
0.6079741.713171
0.6090311.712982
0.610091.712794
0.6111511.712607
0.6122141.712421
0.6132781.712235
0.6143441.712051
0.6154131.711867
0.6164831.711685
0.6175541.711503
0.6186281.711323
0.6197041.711143
0.6207811.710964
0.6218611.710786
0.6229421.710609
0.6240251.710433
0.625111.710257
0.6261971.710083
0.6272861.709909
0.6283761.709736
0.6294691.709564
0.6305631.709393
0.631661.709223
0.6327581.709054
0.6338581.708885
0.634961.708718
0.6360641.708551
0.637171.708385
0.6382781.70822
0.6393881.708055
0.64051.707892
0.6416131.707729
0.6427291.707567
0.6438471.707405
0.6449661.707245
0.6460871.707085
0.6472111.706927
0.6483361.706768
0.6494631.706611
0.6505931.706454
0.6517241.706299
0.6528571.706144
0.6539921.705989
0.6551291.705836
0.6562681.705683
0.6574091.705531
0.6585521.705379
0.6596971.705229
0.6608441.705079
0.6619931.704929
0.6631451.704781
0.6642981.704633
0.6654531.704486
0.666611.70434
0.6677691.704194
0.668931.704049
0.6700931.703905
0.6712581.703761
0.6724251.703618
0.6735941.703476
0.6747651.703334
0.6759391.703193
0.6771141.703053
0.6782911.702913
0.6794711.702774
0.6806521.702636
0.6818351.702498
0.6830211.702361
0.6842091.702225
0.6853981.702089
0.686591.701954
0.6877841.70182
0.688981.701686
0.6901771.701553
0.6913781.70142
0.692581.701288
0.6937841.701157
0.694991.701026
0.6961991.700896
0.6974091.700766
0.6986221.700637
0.6998361.700509
0.7010531.700381
0.7022721.700254
0.7034931.700127
0.7047161.700001
0.7059421.699876
0.7071691.699751
0.7083991.699627
0.709631.699503
0.7108641.69938
0.71211.699257
0.7133381.699135
0.7145791.699014
0.7158211.698893
0.7170661.698773
0.7183121.698653
0.7195611.698533
0.7208131.698415
0.7220661.698296
0.7233211.698179
0.7245791.698062
0.7258391.697945
0.7271011.697829
0.7283651.697713
0.7296311.697598
0.73091.697484
0.7321711.69737
0.7334441.697256
0.7347191.697143
0.7359971.697031
0.7372761.696919
0.7385581.696808
0.7398421.696697
0.7411291.696586
0.7424171.696476
0.7437081.696367
0.7450011.696258
0.7462971.696149
0.7475941.696041
0.7488941.695934
0.7501961.695827
0.7515011.69572
0.7528071.695614
0.7541161.695508
0.7554271.695403
0.7567411.695298
0.7580571.695194
0.7593751.69509
0.7606951.694987
0.7620181.694884
0.7633431.694782
0.764671.69468
0.7659991.694578
0.7673311.694477
0.7686651.694376
0.7700021.694276
0.7713411.694176
0.7726821.694077
0.7740251.693978
0.7753711.69388
0.7767191.693782
0.778071.693684
0.7794231.693587
0.7807781.69349
0.7821351.693394
0.7834951.693298
0.7848581.693202
0.7862221.693107
0.7875891.693013
0.7889591.692918
0.7903311.692825
0.7917051.692731
0.7930811.692638
0.794461.692545
0.7958421.692453
0.7972251.692361
0.7986111.69227
0.81.692179

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
—