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
- 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.
import json, urllib.request
import lightsmith as ls
url = "https://materials.lightsmith.dev/v1/datasets/ds_4d0bfe9b61b7/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/wu-1993-25-1c-e).
# ... 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=400, stop_nm=800, 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
Gases (formula 6), λ in µmValid from 0.4 to 0.8 µm.
Coefficients as stored
| Ci | Value |
|---|---|
| C1 | 0.4552 |
| C2 | 2.325 |
| C3 | 22.6757 |
| C4 | 1.397 |
| C5 | 12.5748 |
Comments and conditions
Conditions
- temperature
- 298.25 K
- direction
- e
References
- doi:10.1117/12.143988 Refractive index dispersions of liquid crystals, Optical Engineering (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| λ (µm) | n |
|---|---|
| 0.4 | 1.817623 |
| 0.400695 | 1.816682 |
| 0.401392 | 1.81575 |
| 0.40209 | 1.814826 |
| 0.402789 | 1.813912 |
| 0.40349 | 1.813005 |
| 0.404191 | 1.812108 |
| 0.404894 | 1.811218 |
| 0.405598 | 1.810336 |
| 0.406303 | 1.809463 |
| 0.40701 | 1.808598 |
| 0.407717 | 1.80774 |
| 0.408426 | 1.80689 |
| 0.409136 | 1.806048 |
| 0.409848 | 1.805213 |
| 0.41056 | 1.804386 |
| 0.411274 | 1.803566 |
| 0.411989 | 1.802753 |
| 0.412706 | 1.801947 |
| 0.413423 | 1.801149 |
| 0.414142 | 1.800357 |
| 0.414862 | 1.799572 |
| 0.415583 | 1.798795 |
| 0.416306 | 1.798023 |
| 0.41703 | 1.797259 |
| 0.417755 | 1.796501 |
| 0.418481 | 1.795749 |
| 0.419209 | 1.795004 |
| 0.419938 | 1.794265 |
| 0.420668 | 1.793532 |
| 0.421399 | 1.792806 |
| 0.422132 | 1.792085 |
| 0.422866 | 1.791371 |
| 0.423601 | 1.790662 |
| 0.424338 | 1.789959 |
| 0.425076 | 1.789262 |
| 0.425815 | 1.788571 |
| 0.426555 | 1.787885 |
| 0.427297 | 1.787205 |
| 0.42804 | 1.786531 |
| 0.428784 | 1.785862 |
| 0.429529 | 1.785198 |
| 0.430276 | 1.78454 |
| 0.431024 | 1.783887 |
| 0.431774 | 1.783239 |
| 0.432525 | 1.782596 |
| 0.433277 | 1.781958 |
| 0.43403 | 1.781326 |
| 0.434785 | 1.780698 |
| 0.435541 | 1.780075 |
| 0.436298 | 1.779457 |
| 0.437056 | 1.778844 |
| 0.437816 | 1.778236 |
| 0.438578 | 1.777632 |
| 0.43934 | 1.777033 |
| 0.440104 | 1.776439 |
| 0.440869 | 1.775849 |
| 0.441636 | 1.775264 |
| 0.442404 | 1.774683 |
| 0.443173 | 1.774106 |
| 0.443943 | 1.773534 |
| 0.444715 | 1.772966 |
| 0.445489 | 1.772403 |
| 0.446263 | 1.771843 |
| 0.447039 | 1.771288 |
| 0.447816 | 1.770737 |
| 0.448595 | 1.77019 |
| 0.449375 | 1.769647 |
| 0.450156 | 1.769108 |
| 0.450939 | 1.768573 |
| 0.451723 | 1.768042 |
| 0.452508 | 1.767514 |
| 0.453295 | 1.766991 |
| 0.454083 | 1.766471 |
| 0.454873 | 1.765955 |
| 0.455664 | 1.765443 |
| 0.456456 | 1.764935 |
| 0.45725 | 1.76443 |
| 0.458045 | 1.763929 |
| 0.458841 | 1.763431 |
| 0.459639 | 1.762937 |
| 0.460438 | 1.762446 |
| 0.461239 | 1.761959 |
| 0.462041 | 1.761475 |
| 0.462844 | 1.760995 |
| 0.463649 | 1.760518 |
| 0.464455 | 1.760044 |
| 0.465263 | 1.759574 |
| 0.466072 | 1.759106 |
| 0.466882 | 1.758643 |
| 0.467694 | 1.758182 |
| 0.468507 | 1.757724 |
| 0.469321 | 1.75727 |
| 0.470137 | 1.756819 |
| 0.470955 | 1.75637 |
| 0.471774 | 1.755925 |
| 0.472594 | 1.755483 |
| 0.473416 | 1.755044 |
| 0.474239 | 1.754608 |
| 0.475063 | 1.754174 |
| 0.475889 | 1.753744 |
| 0.476717 | 1.753317 |
| 0.477546 | 1.752892 |
| 0.478376 | 1.75247 |
| 0.479208 | 1.752051 |
| 0.480041 | 1.751635 |
| 0.480876 | 1.751221 |
| 0.481712 | 1.750811 |
| 0.482549 | 1.750403 |
| 0.483388 | 1.749997 |
| 0.484229 | 1.749595 |
| 0.485071 | 1.749194 |
| 0.485914 | 1.748797 |
| 0.486759 | 1.748402 |
| 0.487605 | 1.74801 |
| 0.488453 | 1.74762 |
| 0.489303 | 1.747233 |
| 0.490153 | 1.746848 |
| 0.491006 | 1.746465 |
| 0.491859 | 1.746086 |
| 0.492714 | 1.745708 |
| 0.493571 | 1.745333 |
| 0.494429 | 1.74496 |
| 0.495289 | 1.74459 |
| 0.49615 | 1.744222 |
| 0.497013 | 1.743856 |
| 0.497877 | 1.743493 |
| 0.498743 | 1.743132 |
| 0.49961 | 1.742773 |
| 0.500479 | 1.742416 |
| 0.501349 | 1.742062 |
| 0.50222 | 1.74171 |
| 0.503094 | 1.74136 |
| 0.503968 | 1.741012 |
| 0.504845 | 1.740667 |
| 0.505722 | 1.740323 |
| 0.506602 | 1.739982 |
| 0.507483 | 1.739642 |
| 0.508365 | 1.739305 |
| 0.509249 | 1.73897 |
| 0.510134 | 1.738637 |
| 0.511021 | 1.738306 |
| 0.51191 | 1.737976 |
| 0.5128 | 1.737649 |
| 0.513692 | 1.737324 |
| 0.514585 | 1.737001 |
| 0.515479 | 1.73668 |
| 0.516376 | 1.736361 |
| 0.517274 | 1.736043 |
| 0.518173 | 1.735728 |
| 0.519074 | 1.735414 |
| 0.519976 | 1.735102 |
| 0.52088 | 1.734792 |
| 0.521786 | 1.734484 |
| 0.522693 | 1.734178 |
| 0.523602 | 1.733874 |
| 0.524513 | 1.733571 |
| 0.525425 | 1.73327 |
| 0.526338 | 1.732971 |
| 0.527253 | 1.732674 |
| 0.52817 | 1.732378 |
| 0.529088 | 1.732084 |
| 0.530008 | 1.731792 |
| 0.53093 | 1.731502 |
| 0.531853 | 1.731213 |
| 0.532778 | 1.730926 |
| 0.533704 | 1.73064 |
| 0.534632 | 1.730357 |
| 0.535562 | 1.730074 |
| 0.536493 | 1.729794 |
| 0.537426 | 1.729515 |
| 0.53836 | 1.729238 |
| 0.539296 | 1.728962 |
| 0.540234 | 1.728688 |
| 0.541173 | 1.728415 |
| 0.542114 | 1.728144 |
| 0.543057 | 1.727874 |
| 0.544001 | 1.727606 |
| 0.544947 | 1.72734 |
| 0.545894 | 1.727075 |
| 0.546843 | 1.726811 |
| 0.547794 | 1.726549 |
| 0.548747 | 1.726289 |
| 0.549701 | 1.72603 |
| 0.550657 | 1.725772 |
| 0.551614 | 1.725516 |
| 0.552573 | 1.725261 |
| 0.553534 | 1.725007 |
| 0.554496 | 1.724755 |
| 0.55546 | 1.724505 |
| 0.556426 | 1.724256 |
| 0.557394 | 1.724008 |
| 0.558363 | 1.723761 |
| 0.559334 | 1.723516 |
| 0.560306 | 1.723273 |
| 0.56128 | 1.72303 |
| 0.562256 | 1.722789 |
| 0.563234 | 1.722549 |
| 0.564213 | 1.722311 |
| 0.565194 | 1.722074 |
| 0.566177 | 1.721838 |
| 0.567161 | 1.721603 |
| 0.568148 | 1.72137 |
| 0.569135 | 1.721138 |
| 0.570125 | 1.720907 |
| 0.571116 | 1.720677 |
| 0.572109 | 1.720449 |
| 0.573104 | 1.720222 |
| 0.5741 | 1.719996 |
| 0.575099 | 1.719771 |
| 0.576099 | 1.719547 |
| 0.5771 | 1.719325 |
| 0.578104 | 1.719104 |
| 0.579109 | 1.718884 |
| 0.580116 | 1.718665 |
| 0.581124 | 1.718448 |
| 0.582135 | 1.718231 |
| 0.583147 | 1.718016 |
| 0.584161 | 1.717802 |
| 0.585177 | 1.717589 |
| 0.586194 | 1.717377 |
| 0.587213 | 1.717166 |
| 0.588234 | 1.716956 |
| 0.589257 | 1.716747 |
| 0.590282 | 1.71654 |
| 0.591308 | 1.716333 |
| 0.592336 | 1.716128 |
| 0.593366 | 1.715924 |
| 0.594398 | 1.71572 |
| 0.595431 | 1.715518 |
| 0.596466 | 1.715317 |
| 0.597504 | 1.715117 |
| 0.598542 | 1.714918 |
| 0.599583 | 1.71472 |
| 0.600626 | 1.714523 |
| 0.60167 | 1.714327 |
| 0.602716 | 1.714132 |
| 0.603764 | 1.713938 |
| 0.604814 | 1.713745 |
| 0.605865 | 1.713552 |
| 0.606919 | 1.713361 |
| 0.607974 | 1.713171 |
| 0.609031 | 1.712982 |
| 0.61009 | 1.712794 |
| 0.611151 | 1.712607 |
| 0.612214 | 1.712421 |
| 0.613278 | 1.712235 |
| 0.614344 | 1.712051 |
| 0.615413 | 1.711867 |
| 0.616483 | 1.711685 |
| 0.617554 | 1.711503 |
| 0.618628 | 1.711323 |
| 0.619704 | 1.711143 |
| 0.620781 | 1.710964 |
| 0.621861 | 1.710786 |
| 0.622942 | 1.710609 |
| 0.624025 | 1.710433 |
| 0.62511 | 1.710257 |
| 0.626197 | 1.710083 |
| 0.627286 | 1.709909 |
| 0.628376 | 1.709736 |
| 0.629469 | 1.709564 |
| 0.630563 | 1.709393 |
| 0.63166 | 1.709223 |
| 0.632758 | 1.709054 |
| 0.633858 | 1.708885 |
| 0.63496 | 1.708718 |
| 0.636064 | 1.708551 |
| 0.63717 | 1.708385 |
| 0.638278 | 1.70822 |
| 0.639388 | 1.708055 |
| 0.6405 | 1.707892 |
| 0.641613 | 1.707729 |
| 0.642729 | 1.707567 |
| 0.643847 | 1.707405 |
| 0.644966 | 1.707245 |
| 0.646087 | 1.707085 |
| 0.647211 | 1.706927 |
| 0.648336 | 1.706768 |
| 0.649463 | 1.706611 |
| 0.650593 | 1.706454 |
| 0.651724 | 1.706299 |
| 0.652857 | 1.706144 |
| 0.653992 | 1.705989 |
| 0.655129 | 1.705836 |
| 0.656268 | 1.705683 |
| 0.657409 | 1.705531 |
| 0.658552 | 1.705379 |
| 0.659697 | 1.705229 |
| 0.660844 | 1.705079 |
| 0.661993 | 1.704929 |
| 0.663145 | 1.704781 |
| 0.664298 | 1.704633 |
| 0.665453 | 1.704486 |
| 0.66661 | 1.70434 |
| 0.667769 | 1.704194 |
| 0.66893 | 1.704049 |
| 0.670093 | 1.703905 |
| 0.671258 | 1.703761 |
| 0.672425 | 1.703618 |
| 0.673594 | 1.703476 |
| 0.674765 | 1.703334 |
| 0.675939 | 1.703193 |
| 0.677114 | 1.703053 |
| 0.678291 | 1.702913 |
| 0.679471 | 1.702774 |
| 0.680652 | 1.702636 |
| 0.681835 | 1.702498 |
| 0.683021 | 1.702361 |
| 0.684209 | 1.702225 |
| 0.685398 | 1.702089 |
| 0.68659 | 1.701954 |
| 0.687784 | 1.70182 |
| 0.68898 | 1.701686 |
| 0.690177 | 1.701553 |
| 0.691378 | 1.70142 |
| 0.69258 | 1.701288 |
| 0.693784 | 1.701157 |
| 0.69499 | 1.701026 |
| 0.696199 | 1.700896 |
| 0.697409 | 1.700766 |
| 0.698622 | 1.700637 |
| 0.699836 | 1.700509 |
| 0.701053 | 1.700381 |
| 0.702272 | 1.700254 |
| 0.703493 | 1.700127 |
| 0.704716 | 1.700001 |
| 0.705942 | 1.699876 |
| 0.707169 | 1.699751 |
| 0.708399 | 1.699627 |
| 0.70963 | 1.699503 |
| 0.710864 | 1.69938 |
| 0.7121 | 1.699257 |
| 0.713338 | 1.699135 |
| 0.714579 | 1.699014 |
| 0.715821 | 1.698893 |
| 0.717066 | 1.698773 |
| 0.718312 | 1.698653 |
| 0.719561 | 1.698533 |
| 0.720813 | 1.698415 |
| 0.722066 | 1.698296 |
| 0.723321 | 1.698179 |
| 0.724579 | 1.698062 |
| 0.725839 | 1.697945 |
| 0.727101 | 1.697829 |
| 0.728365 | 1.697713 |
| 0.729631 | 1.697598 |
| 0.7309 | 1.697484 |
| 0.732171 | 1.69737 |
| 0.733444 | 1.697256 |
| 0.734719 | 1.697143 |
| 0.735997 | 1.697031 |
| 0.737276 | 1.696919 |
| 0.738558 | 1.696808 |
| 0.739842 | 1.696697 |
| 0.741129 | 1.696586 |
| 0.742417 | 1.696476 |
| 0.743708 | 1.696367 |
| 0.745001 | 1.696258 |
| 0.746297 | 1.696149 |
| 0.747594 | 1.696041 |
| 0.748894 | 1.695934 |
| 0.750196 | 1.695827 |
| 0.751501 | 1.69572 |
| 0.752807 | 1.695614 |
| 0.754116 | 1.695508 |
| 0.755427 | 1.695403 |
| 0.756741 | 1.695298 |
| 0.758057 | 1.695194 |
| 0.759375 | 1.69509 |
| 0.760695 | 1.694987 |
| 0.762018 | 1.694884 |
| 0.763343 | 1.694782 |
| 0.76467 | 1.69468 |
| 0.765999 | 1.694578 |
| 0.767331 | 1.694477 |
| 0.768665 | 1.694376 |
| 0.770002 | 1.694276 |
| 0.771341 | 1.694176 |
| 0.772682 | 1.694077 |
| 0.774025 | 1.693978 |
| 0.775371 | 1.69388 |
| 0.776719 | 1.693782 |
| 0.77807 | 1.693684 |
| 0.779423 | 1.693587 |
| 0.780778 | 1.69349 |
| 0.782135 | 1.693394 |
| 0.783495 | 1.693298 |
| 0.784858 | 1.693202 |
| 0.786222 | 1.693107 |
| 0.787589 | 1.693013 |
| 0.788959 | 1.692918 |
| 0.790331 | 1.692825 |
| 0.791705 | 1.692731 |
| 0.793081 | 1.692638 |
| 0.79446 | 1.692545 |
| 0.795842 | 1.692453 |
| 0.797225 | 1.692361 |
| 0.798611 | 1.69227 |
| 0.8 | 1.692179 |
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
- —
25.1 °C. Extraordinary ray (e).