Optical constants

Refractive index of Al₂O₃ (Aluminium sesquioxide, Sapphire, Alumina)

Querry 1985: α-Al2O3 (Sapphire); n,k(o) 0.21–55.6 µm

Data: tabulated nk
Range: 0.21–55.56 µm
Points: 612
Optical axis: o
State: crystalline
Licence: CC0-1.0

Uniaxial crystal, axes: oe

Axis Log x Log y

Click the plot to set the calculator wavelength.

At one wavelength

Refractive index n: 1.752
Extinction coefficient k: 0.02

Permittivity ε₁: 3.0691
Permittivity ε₂: 0.07008

Absorption coefficient α: 4277.19 cm⁻¹
Penetration depth δ = λ/(2πk): 4675.97 nm

Abbe number V_d: —
Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ: 0 µm⁻¹

Group index n_g: 1.752
Group velocity dispersion: — fs²/mm

Dispersion parameter D: — ps/(nm·km)
Photon energy: 2.11001 eV

ε = (n + ik)², α = 4πk/λ, n_g = 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

# Al2O3 (Aluminium sesquioxide, Sapphire, Alumina): Querry 1985: α-Al2O3 (Sapphire); n,k(o) 0.21–55.6 µm
al2o3 = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("main", "Al2O3", "Querry-o", ref="c5c2f188e848453def5970e347399d653df2ffc2")
print(al2o3.range_nm)  # (210, 55555.6) nm
eps = al2o3.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_5e95a14f16c9/lightsmith"
al2o3 = ls.Tabulated.model_validate(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(url)))
print(al2o3.source)  # citation and provenance travel with the data

Any dataset here, as the library's Tabulated material (al2o3/querry-1985-o).

# ... load al2o3 as above, then:
sim = ls.Simulation(
    particles=[ls.Particle(shape=ls.Sphere(radius_nm=50), material=al2o3)],
    medium_index=1.0,
    wavelengths=ls.WavelengthRange(start_nm=400, stop_nm=1000, 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"]).

Materials guide Open a sphere of it in Studio Quick start Ask the community

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.

Comments and conditions

α-Al₂O₃ (Sapphire). Ordinary ray (o).

Conditions

direction: o

Notes on the source data (kept exactly as published):

k < 0 at some wavelengths in the source data (gain, or a sign convention issue)

References

M. R. Querry. Optical constants, Contractor Report CRDC-CR-85034 (1985)

Cite

M. R. Querry. Optical constants, Contractor Report CRDC-CR-85034 (1985); Data from the refractiveindex.info database (M. N. Polyanskiy, Sci. Data 11, 94 (2024), doi:10.1038/s41597-023-02898-2)

Data

612 rows as published

CSV comma separated TXT tab separated YAML n, k Full database record original YAML All quantities CSV JSON metadata

Al2O3 (Aluminium sesquioxide, Sapphire, Alumina), Querry 1985: α-Al2O3 (Sapphire); n,k(o) 0.21–55.6 µm: n and k versus wavelength
λ (µm)	n	k
0.21	1.831	-0.052
0.22	1.817	-0.039
0.23	1.805	-0.026
0.24	1.793	-0.019
0.25	1.789	-0.016
0.26	1.779	-0.01
0.27	1.776	-0.004
0.28	1.772	-0.001
0.29	1.767	0.001
0.3	1.762	0.007
0.31	1.762	0.01
0.32	1.762	0.012
0.33	1.761	0.013
0.34	1.76	0.014
0.35	1.758	0.015
0.36	1.757	0.017
0.37	1.757	0.018
0.38	1.757	0.018
0.39	1.757	0.019
0.4	1.756	0.019
0.41	1.755	0.019
0.42	1.754	0.019
0.43	1.754	0.02
0.44	1.754	0.021
0.45	1.754	0.021
0.46	1.754	0.021
0.47	1.754	0.021
0.48	1.754	0.021
0.49	1.754	0.021
0.5	1.754	0.021
0.51	1.753	0.021
0.52	1.753	0.021
0.53	1.753	0.02
0.54	1.753	0.021
0.55	1.753	0.021
0.56	1.752	0.02
0.57	1.752	0.021
0.58	1.752	0.02
0.59	1.752	0.02
0.6	1.752	0.02
0.61	1.751	0.02
0.62	1.751	0.021
0.63	1.751	0.02
0.64	1.751	0.02
0.65	1.751	0.02
0.66	1.751	0.02
0.67	1.751	0.02
0.68	1.751	0.02
0.69	1.751	0.021
0.7	1.751	0.02
0.71	1.751	0.02
0.72	1.751	0.02
0.73	1.75	0.02
0.74	1.75	0.02
0.75	1.75	0.02
0.76	1.75	0.02
0.77	1.75	0.02
0.78	1.75	0.02
0.79	1.75	0.02
0.8	1.75	0.02
0.81	1.75	0.02
0.82	1.75	0.02
0.83	1.75	0.02
0.84	1.75	0.02
0.85	1.75	0.02
0.86	1.75	0.02
0.87	1.75	0.02
0.88	1.75	0.02
0.89	1.75	0.02
0.9	1.75	0.02
0.91	1.75	0.02
0.92	1.75	0.02
0.93	1.75	0.02
0.94	1.75	0.02
0.95	1.75	0.02
0.96	1.75	0.02
0.97	1.75	0.02
0.98	1.75	0.02
0.99	1.749	0.02
1.0	1.749	0.02
1.01	1.749	0.02
1.02	1.749	0.02
1.03	1.749	0.02
1.04	1.749	0.02
1.05	1.749	0.02
1.06	1.749	0.02
1.07	1.749	0.02
1.08	1.749	0.02
1.09	1.749	0.02
1.1	1.749	0.02
1.11	1.749	0.02
1.12	1.749	0.02
1.13	1.749	0.02
1.14	1.749	0.02
1.15	1.749	0.02
1.16	1.749	0.02
1.17	1.749	0.02
1.18	1.749	0.02
1.19	1.749	0.02
1.2	1.749	0.021
1.21	1.749	0.021
1.22	1.749	0.02
1.23	1.749	0.021
1.24	1.749	0.02
1.25	1.749	0.02
1.26	1.749	0.02
1.27	1.749	0.019
1.28	1.749	0.019
1.29	1.749	0.019
1.3	1.749	0.019
1.31	1.748	0.019
1.32	1.748	0.019
1.33	1.748	0.019
1.34	1.748	0.019
1.35	1.748	0.019
1.36	1.748	0.02
1.37	1.748	0.019
1.38	1.748	0.02
1.39	1.749	0.02
1.4	1.748	0.02
1.41	1.748	0.02
1.42	1.748	0.019
1.43	1.748	0.019
1.44	1.748	0.019
1.45	1.748	0.02
1.46	1.748	0.019
1.47	1.748	0.019
1.48	1.748	0.018
1.49	1.747	0.019
1.5	1.747	0.019
1.51	1.747	0.018
1.52	1.747	0.018
1.53	1.746	0.018
1.54	1.746	0.019
1.55	1.747	0.018
1.56	1.746	0.018
1.57	1.746	0.018
1.58	1.745	0.018
1.59	1.745	0.016
1.6	1.745	0.018
1.61	1.745	0.018
1.62	1.745	0.018
1.63	1.744	0.018
1.64	1.744	0.018
1.65	1.744	0.019
1.66	1.744	0.019
1.67	1.744	0.019
1.68	1.744	0.019
1.69	1.744	0.019
1.7	1.744	0.019
1.71	1.744	0.019
1.72	1.744	0.019
1.73	1.744	0.019
1.74	1.743	0.018
1.75	1.743	0.019
1.76	1.743	0.019
1.77	1.744	0.018
1.78	1.744	0.018
1.79	1.743	0.017
1.8	1.743	0.017
1.81	1.742	0.017
1.82	1.742	0.018
1.83	1.742	0.017
1.84	1.741	0.017
1.85	1.74	0.017
1.86	1.739	0.018
1.87	1.739	0.019
1.88	1.74	0.02
1.89	1.741	0.02
1.9	1.741	0.02
1.91	1.741	0.019
1.92	1.741	0.019
1.93	1.741	0.019
1.94	1.741	0.019
1.95	1.741	0.019
1.96	1.741	0.019
1.97	1.74	0.018
1.98	1.74	0.018
1.99	1.739	0.018
2.0	1.739	0.018
2.01	1.739	0.018
2.02	1.738	0.018
2.03	1.738	0.018
2.04	1.737	0.018
2.05	1.737	0.019
2.06	1.737	0.019
2.07	1.737	0.019
2.08	1.737	0.019
2.09	1.737	0.019
2.1	1.737	0.018
2.11	1.736	0.018
2.12	1.736	0.018
2.13	1.736	0.019
2.14	1.735	0.019
2.15	1.735	0.019
2.16	1.735	0.019
2.17	1.735	0.02
2.18	1.735	0.019
2.19	1.735	0.019
2.2	1.734	0.019
2.21	1.734	0.02
2.22	1.734	0.02
2.23	1.734	0.021
2.24	1.734	0.02
2.25	1.734	0.02
2.26	1.734	0.021
2.27	1.734	0.02
2.28	1.734	0.02
2.29	1.734	0.02
2.3	1.734	0.02
2.31	1.733	0.02
2.32	1.733	0.02
2.33	1.733	0.02
2.34	1.733	0.02
2.35	1.733	0.02
2.36	1.733	0.02
2.37	1.732	0.02
2.38	1.732	0.021
2.39	1.732	0.02
2.4	1.732	0.021
2.41	1.732	0.02
2.42	1.732	0.02
2.43	1.732	0.02
2.44	1.732	0.019
2.45	1.732	0.02
2.46	1.732	0.019
2.47	1.731	0.019
2.48	1.731	0.019
2.49	1.73	0.018
2.5	1.729	0.018
2.5063	1.729	0.019
2.5126	1.729	0.019
2.5189	1.729	0.019
2.5253	1.728	0.019
2.5316	1.728	0.018
2.5381	1.728	0.019
2.5445	1.728	0.019
2.551	1.728	0.019
2.5575	1.727	0.019
2.5641	1.727	0.019
2.5707	1.727	0.019
2.5773	1.727	0.019
2.584	1.727	0.02
2.5907	1.726	0.019
2.5974	1.726	0.019
2.6042	1.726	0.019
2.611	1.726	0.02
2.6178	1.726	0.02
2.6247	1.726	0.02
2.6316	1.725	0.02
2.6385	1.725	0.02
2.6455	1.725	0.02
2.6525	1.725	0.02
2.6596	1.725	0.02
2.6667	1.724	0.02
2.6738	1.724	0.02
2.681	1.725	0.02
2.6882	1.725	0.02
2.6954	1.724	0.02
2.7027	1.724	0.019
2.71	1.723	0.019
2.7174	1.723	0.019
2.7248	1.722	0.02
2.7322	1.722	0.021
2.7397	1.722	0.021
2.7473	1.723	0.021
2.7548	1.723	0.021
2.7624	1.723	0.021
2.7701	1.723	0.021
2.7778	1.722	0.021
2.7855	1.722	0.021
2.7933	1.722	0.02
2.8011	1.722	0.02
2.809	1.722	0.021
2.8169	1.722	0.021
2.8249	1.721	0.021
2.8329	1.721	0.021
2.8409	1.721	0.02
2.849	1.721	0.02
2.8571	1.72	0.021
2.8653	1.72	0.021
2.8736	1.72	0.02
2.8818	1.72	0.02
2.8902	1.72	0.02
2.8986	1.72	0.02
2.907	1.719	0.02
2.9155	1.719	0.02
2.924	1.719	0.02
2.9326	1.718	0.02
2.9412	1.718	0.02
2.9499	1.718	0.021
2.9586	1.718	0.021
2.9674	1.717	0.021
2.9762	1.718	0.02
2.9851	1.718	0.02
2.994	1.717	0.02
3.003	1.717	0.021
3.012	1.717	0.02
3.0211	1.717	0.02
3.0303	1.716	0.019
3.0395	1.716	0.019
3.0488	1.715	0.02
3.0581	1.715	0.02
3.0675	1.715	0.019
3.0769	1.714	0.019
3.0864	1.714	0.019
3.096	1.713	0.02
3.1056	1.713	0.019
3.1153	1.712	0.019
3.125	1.712	0.019
3.1348	1.712	0.02
3.1447	1.712	0.02
3.1546	1.712	0.02
3.1646	1.711	0.019
3.1746	1.711	0.019
3.1847	1.71	0.019
3.1949	1.709	0.02
3.2051	1.709	0.021
3.2154	1.709	0.02
3.2258	1.709	0.02
3.2362	1.708	0.02
3.2468	1.708	0.02
3.2573	1.707	0.021
3.268	1.707	0.02
3.2787	1.707	0.02
3.2895	1.706	0.02
3.3003	1.706	0.02
3.3113	1.706	0.021
3.3223	1.705	0.021
3.3333	1.705	0.021
3.3445	1.705	0.02
3.3557	1.704	0.02
3.367	1.704	0.021
3.3784	1.703	0.021
3.3898	1.702	0.021
3.4014	1.702	0.021
3.413	1.702	0.021
3.4247	1.701	0.022
3.4364	1.701	0.023
3.4483	1.701	0.023
3.4602	1.701	0.022
3.4722	1.701	0.022
3.4843	1.701	0.022
3.4965	1.7	0.022
3.5088	1.7	0.022
3.5211	1.7	0.022
3.5336	1.699	0.021
3.5461	1.699	0.021
3.5587	1.699	0.021
3.5714	1.698	0.021
3.5842	1.698	0.021
3.5971	1.697	0.02
3.6101	1.697	0.02
3.6232	1.696	0.02
3.6364	1.695	0.02
3.6496	1.694	0.02
3.663	1.694	0.019
3.6765	1.693	0.019
3.69	1.692	0.019
3.7037	1.692	0.02
3.7175	1.691	0.02
3.7313	1.69	0.02
3.7453	1.69	0.019
3.7594	1.689	0.019
3.7736	1.688	0.021
3.7879	1.687	0.021
3.8023	1.687	0.02
3.8168	1.686	0.02
3.8314	1.685	0.02
3.8462	1.684	0.021
3.861	1.684	0.021
3.8976	1.683	0.021
3.8911	1.683	0.021
3.9063	1.682	0.02
3.9216	1.681	0.02
3.937	1.68	0.021
3.9526	1.679	0.021
3.9683	1.678	0.021
3.9841	1.677	0.02
4.0	1.676	0.021
4.0161	1.676	0.022
4.0323	1.675	0.023
4.0486	1.674	0.023
4.065	1.674	0.022
4.0816	1.673	0.022
4.0984	1.672	0.023
4.1152	1.672	0.024
4.1322	1.671	0.024
4.1494	1.67	0.023
4.1667	1.67	0.023
4.1841	1.669	0.024
4.2017	1.668	0.024
4.2194	1.667	0.024
4.2373	1.667	0.024
4.2553	1.666	0.023
4.2735	1.665	0.023
4.2918	1.664	0.024
4.3103	1.663	0.024
4.329	1.662	0.023
4.3478	1.66	0.023
4.3668	1.659	0.023
4.386	1.658	0.024
4.4053	1.657	0.025
4.4248	1.656	0.025
4.4444	1.655	0.025
4.4643	1.654	0.025
4.4843	1.653	0.026
4.5045	1.652	0.026
4.5249	1.651	0.026
4.5455	1.65	0.026
4.5662	1.649	0.026
4.5872	1.647	0.027
4.6083	1.646	0.028
4.6296	1.645	0.028
4.6512	1.644	0.028
4.6729	1.643	0.028
4.6948	1.642	0.029
4.717	1.642	0.029
4.7393	1.641	0.03
4.7619	1.639	0.03
4.7847	1.638	0.029
4.8077	1.637	0.029
4.8309	1.636	0.03
4.8544	1.634	0.031
4.878	1.633	0.031
4.902	1.633	0.031
4.9261	1.632	0.031
4.9505	1.631	0.031
4.9751	1.629	0.031
5.0	1.628	0.032
5.0251	1.627	0.032
5.0505	1.626	0.031
5.0761	1.624	0.031
5.102	1.623	0.032
5.1282	1.621	0.032
5.1546	1.62	0.032
5.1813	1.619	0.031
5.2083	1.617	0.03
5.2356	1.616	0.031
5.2632	1.614	0.031
5.291	1.612	0.031
5.3191	1.61	0.03
5.3476	1.608	0.03
5.3763	1.606	0.03
5.4054	1.604	0.031
5.4348	1.602	0.031
5.4645	1.6	0.031
5.4945	1.598	0.03
5.5249	1.596	0.03
5.5556	1.593	0.031
5.5866	1.591	0.032
5.618	1.589	0.032
5.6497	1.587	0.031
5.6818	1.584	0.03
5.7143	1.582	0.031
5.7471	1.579	0.031
5.7803	1.576	0.032
5.814	1.573	0.032
5.848	1.571	0.032
5.8824	1.568	0.032
5.9172	1.565	0.033
5.9524	1.562	0.034
5.988	1.56	0.034
6.0241	1.557	0.034
6.0606	1.554	0.034
6.0976	1.551	0.035
6.135	1.548	0.036
6.1728	1.544	0.036
6.2112	1.542	0.036
6.25	1.538	0.035
6.2893	1.535	0.036
6.3291	1.532	0.037
6.3694	1.528	0.038
6.4103	1.524	0.037
6.4516	1.521	0.037
6.4935	1.517	0.038
6.5359	1.513	0.039
6.5789	1.509	0.039
6.6225	1.505	0.039
6.6667	1.501	0.039
6.7114	1.497	0.039
6.7568	1.492	0.04
6.8027	1.487	0.041
6.8493	1.482	0.041
6.8966	1.478	0.041
6.9444	1.473	0.041
6.993	1.467	0.042
7.0423	1.462	0.044
7.0922	1.457	0.045
7.1429	1.452	0.045
7.1942	1.447	0.044
7.2464	1.441	0.045
7.2993	1.435	0.046
7.3529	1.428	0.047
7.4074	1.422	0.047
7.4627	1.416	0.047
7.5188	1.409	0.047
7.5758	1.402	0.048
7.6336	1.395	0.048
7.6923	1.388	0.048
7.7519	1.38	0.047
7.8125	1.371	0.045
7.874	1.359	0.044
7.9365	1.345	0.055
8.0	1.345	0.056
8.0645	1.336	0.051
8.1301	1.321	0.054
8.1967	1.311	0.053
8.2645	1.301	0.057
8.3333	1.294	0.055
8.4034	1.276	0.053
8.4746	1.265	0.054
8.547	1.243	0.058
8.6207	1.236	0.068
8.6957	1.228	0.067
8.7719	1.218	0.062
8.8496	1.197	0.061
8.9286	1.173	0.063
9.009	1.16	0.074
9.0909	1.149	0.08
9.1743	1.136	0.073
9.2593	1.113	0.063
9.3458	1.079	0.064
9.434	1.05	0.074
9.5238	1.032	0.089
9.6154	1.014	0.091
9.7087	0.99	0.088
9.8039	0.961	0.089
9.901	0.927	0.088
10.0	0.89	0.094
10.101	0.854	0.097
10.2041	0.813	0.103
10.3093	0.768	0.108
10.4167	0.717	0.112
10.5263	0.658	0.12
10.6383	0.592	0.13
10.7527	0.514	0.139
10.8696	0.401	0.166
10.989	0.279	0.239
11.1111	0.182	0.355
11.236	0.124	0.484
11.3636	0.098	0.608
11.4943	0.087	0.719
11.6279	0.083	0.822
11.7647	0.081	0.915
11.9048	0.079	1.002
12.0482	0.078	1.088
12.1951	0.078	1.176
12.3457	0.079	1.266
12.5	0.082	1.356
12.6582	0.083	1.439
12.8205	0.081	1.524
12.987	0.08	1.618
13.1579	0.079	1.721
13.3333	0.079	1.833
13.5135	0.08	1.948
13.6986	0.091	2.064
13.8889	0.105	2.178
14.0845	0.114	2.311
14.2857	0.114	2.466
14.4928	0.117	2.645
14.7059	0.135	2.838
14.9254	0.172	3.049
15.1515	0.243	3.326
15.3846	0.369	3.683
15.625	0.664	4.25
15.873	1.672	3.46
16.129	0.735	3.626
16.3934	0.774	4.26
16.6667	1.062	4.919
16.9492	1.523	5.835
17.2414	2.382	6.996
17.5439	5.146	8.491
17.8571	8.559	3.839
18.1818	6.585	1.299
18.5185	5.308	0.642
18.8679	4.497	0.42
19.2308	3.797	0.48
19.6078	3.232	0.662
20.0	2.725	0.591
20.4082	1.951	0.573
20.8333	0.629	1.22
21.2766	0.283	2.824
21.7391	0.512	4.73
22.2222	1.472	7.373
22.7273	7.25	11.173
23.2558	9.484	1.231
23.8095	6.881	0.312
24.3902	5.718	0.108
25.0	5.02	0.066
25.641	3.879	0.606
26.3158	5.677	1.312
27.027	4.903	0.108
27.7778	4.56	-0.069
28.5714	4.279	-0.089
29.4118	4.122	-0.043
30.303	4.0	0.01
31.25	3.893	0.046
32.2581	3.803	0.019
33.3333	3.723	0.013
34.4828	3.667	0.077
35.7143	3.646	0.077
37.037	3.617	0.067
38.4615	3.571	0.048
40.0	3.53	0.028
41.6667	3.492	0.013
43.4783	3.458	0.021
45.4545	3.426	0.028
47.619	3.398	0.028
50.0	3.372	0.018
52.6316	3.348	0.009
55.5556	3.326	0.011

Optical transmission calculator

Free-standing sample in vacuum, normal incidence

Transmittance T: —
Reflectance R: —

Fresnel reflection calculator

R_p: —
R_s: —
R = (R_p+R_s)/2: —
Phase φ_p: —
Phase φ_s: —
Brewster angle θ_B: —
Critical angle θ_C: —

Al₂O₃ (Aluminium sesquioxide, Sapphire, Alumina): all datasets

Crystal

Thin film

About Al2O3 (Aluminium sesquioxide, Sapphire, Alumina)

Al₂O₃, commonly known as alumina or aluminum oxide, is a ceramic material that has a wide range of applications due to its excellent mechanical and optical properties. This compound crystallizes in various phases, the most stable and common of which is the corundum structure. Alumina is transparent in the ultraviolet to the infrared range, making it a versatile material for a variety of optical applications such as protective windows and lenses. It has a high refractive index and is also known for its strong dielectric properties. One of the key attributes of Al₂O₃ is its remarkable thermal stability and resistance to chemical attack, which makes it suitable for harsh environment applications. Furthermore, the material has been investigated for its nonlinear optical characteristics, although it is generally less efficient in this regard compared to other nonlinear optical materials. Alumina can also serve as a substrate material for thin-film optical coatings. In summary, Al₂O₃ is a robust and multifunctional material that is extensively studied for its enduring relevance in both traditional and advanced optical systems. Mineral: Corundum Gemstones: Sapphire, Ruby

More about Al2O3 (Aluminium sesquioxide, Sapphire, Alumina) →

Provenance

Version: 1 (snapshot c5c2f18)
Source page: refractiveindex.info
Original file: database/data/main/Al2O3/nk/Querry-o.yml
ID: ds_5e95a14f16c9
API: /v1/datasets/ds_5e95a14f16c9

Plot