Optical constants

Refractive index of AlAs (Aluminium arsenide)

Fern and Onton 1971: n 0.56–2.2 µm

Data: formula 1
Range: 0.56–2.2 µm
Licence: CC0-1.0

Axis Log x Log y

Click the plot to set the calculator wavelength.

At one wavelength

Refractive index n: 3.16011
Extinction coefficient k: 0

Permittivity ε₁: 9.9863
Permittivity ε₂: 0

Absorption coefficient α: 0 cm⁻¹
Penetration depth δ = λ/(2πk): — nm

Abbe number V_d: —
Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ: -1.27721 µm⁻¹

Group index n_g: 3.9106
Group velocity dispersion: 3092.29 fs²/mm

Dispersion parameter D: -16870.1 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

# AlAs (Aluminium arsenide): Fern and Onton 1971: n 0.56–2.2 µm
alas = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("main", "AlAs", "Fern", ref="c5c2f188e848453def5970e347399d653df2ffc2")
print(alas.range_nm)  # (560, 2200) nm
eps = alas.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_9ff32a84a6d7/lightsmith"
alas = ls.Tabulated.model_validate(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(url)))
print(alas.source)  # citation and provenance travel with the data

Any dataset here, as the library's Tabulated material (alas/fern-onton-1971).

# ... load alas as above, then:
sim = ls.Simulation(
    particles=[ls.Particle(shape=ls.Sphere(radius_nm=50), material=alas)],
    medium_index=1.0,
    wavelengths=ls.WavelengthRange(start_nm=560, 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"]).

import json, urllib.request
import lightsmith as ls

url = "https://materials.lightsmith.dev/v1/datasets/ds_9ff32a84a6d7/lightsmith?model=drude_lorentz"
alas_dl = ls.DrudeLorentz.model_validate(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(url)))

A dispersive Drude–Lorentz model for time-domain solvers.

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.

Dispersion formula

Sellmeier (formula 1), λ in µm

n^{2} - 1 = 1.0792 + \frac{6.084 λ^{2}}{λ^{2} - {0.2822}^{2}} + \frac{1.9 λ^{2}}{λ^{2} - {27.62}^{2}}

Valid from 0.56 to 2.2 µm.

Coefficients as stored

C_i	Value
C1	1.0792
C2	6.084
C3	0.2822
C4	1.9
C5	27.62

References

R. E. Fern and A. Onton. Refractive index of AlAs. J. Appl. Phys. 42, 3499-3500 (1971)

doi:10.1063/1.1660760 Refractive Index of AlAs, Journal of Applied Physics (1971)

Cite

R. E. Fern and A. Onton. Refractive Index of AlAs. Journal of Applied Physics, 42, 3499-3500 (1971), doi:10.1063/1.1660760; 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

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

AlAs (Aluminium arsenide), Fern and Onton 1971: n 0.56–2.2 µm: n and k versus wavelength
λ (µm)	n
0.56	3.198953
0.561924	3.195993
0.563854	3.193063
0.565791	3.190164
0.567734	3.187295
0.569685	3.184456
0.571642	3.181647
0.573605	3.178866
0.575576	3.176115
0.577553	3.173391
0.579537	3.170696
0.581528	3.168028
0.583525	3.165387
0.58553	3.162773
0.587541	3.160185
0.58956	3.157624
0.591585	3.155088
0.593617	3.152578
0.595656	3.150093
0.597702	3.147633
0.599755	3.145197
0.601816	3.142786
0.603883	3.140398
0.605957	3.138034
0.608039	3.135694
0.610128	3.133376
0.612224	3.131081
0.614327	3.128808
0.616437	3.126558
0.618555	3.124329
0.620679	3.122122
0.622812	3.119937
0.624951	3.117772
0.627098	3.115629
0.629252	3.113506
0.631414	3.111403
0.633583	3.10932
0.635759	3.107258
0.637943	3.105214
0.640134	3.103191
0.642333	3.101186
0.64454	3.0992
0.646754	3.097233
0.648976	3.095285
0.651205	3.093354
0.653442	3.091442
0.655687	3.089548
0.657939	3.087671
0.660199	3.085812
0.662467	3.08397
0.664743	3.082145
0.667026	3.080337
0.669317	3.078545
0.671617	3.07677
0.673924	3.075011
0.676239	3.073269
0.678562	3.071542
0.680893	3.069831
0.683232	3.068136
0.685579	3.066456
0.687934	3.064791
0.690297	3.063141
0.692668	3.061506
0.695048	3.059886
0.697435	3.05828
0.699831	3.056689
0.702235	3.055112
0.704647	3.053549
0.707068	3.052
0.709497	3.050465
0.711934	3.048943
0.71438	3.047435
0.716834	3.045941
0.719296	3.044459
0.721767	3.042991
0.724246	3.041535
0.726734	3.040092
0.729231	3.038662
0.731736	3.037245
0.734249	3.035839
0.736772	3.034446
0.739302	3.033065
0.741842	3.031697
0.74439	3.03034
0.746947	3.028994
0.749513	3.027661
0.752088	3.026339
0.754672	3.025028
0.757264	3.023729
0.759865	3.02244
0.762476	3.021163
0.765095	3.019897
0.767723	3.018641
0.77036	3.017397
0.773007	3.016162
0.775662	3.014939
0.778326	3.013725
0.781	3.012522
0.783683	3.01133
0.786375	3.010147
0.789076	3.008974
0.791787	3.007811
0.794507	3.006658
0.797236	3.005515
0.799975	3.004381
0.802723	3.003256
0.80548	3.002141
0.808247	3.001036
0.811024	2.999939
0.81381	2.998852
0.816605	2.997774
0.81941	2.996704
0.822225	2.995644
0.82505	2.994592
0.827884	2.993549
0.830728	2.992515
0.833581	2.991489
0.836445	2.990472
0.839318	2.989463
0.842201	2.988462
0.845094	2.987469
0.847997	2.986485
0.85091	2.985508
0.853833	2.98454
0.856766	2.983579
0.85971	2.982627
0.862663	2.981682
0.865626	2.980744
0.8686	2.979815
0.871584	2.978892
0.874578	2.977978
0.877582	2.97707
0.880596	2.97617
0.883621	2.975277
0.886657	2.974392
0.889703	2.973513
0.892759	2.972642
0.895826	2.971778
0.898903	2.97092
0.901991	2.970069
0.905089	2.969226
0.908198	2.968388
0.911318	2.967558
0.914449	2.966734
0.91759	2.965917
0.920742	2.965106
0.923905	2.964302
0.927079	2.963504
0.930263	2.962712
0.933459	2.961926
0.936665	2.961147
0.939883	2.960374
0.943112	2.959607
0.946351	2.958846
0.949602	2.958091
0.952864	2.957342
0.956138	2.956599
0.959422	2.955862
0.962718	2.95513
0.966025	2.954404
0.969343	2.953684
0.972673	2.952969
0.976014	2.95226
0.979367	2.951557
0.982731	2.950859
0.986107	2.950166
0.989495	2.949479
0.992894	2.948797
0.996304	2.94812
0.999727	2.947449
1.00316	2.946783
1.00661	2.946121
1.01007	2.945465
1.01353	2.944814
1.01702	2.944169
1.02051	2.943528
1.02402	2.942892
1.02753	2.94226
1.03106	2.941634
1.0346	2.941012
1.03816	2.940396
1.04173	2.939784
1.0453	2.939176
1.04889	2.938573
1.0525	2.937975
1.05611	2.937382
1.05974	2.936792
1.06338	2.936208
1.06703	2.935628
1.0707	2.935052
1.07438	2.93448
1.07807	2.933913
1.08177	2.93335
1.08549	2.932792
1.08922	2.932237
1.09296	2.931687
1.09671	2.931141
1.10048	2.930599
1.10426	2.930061
1.10805	2.929527
1.11186	2.928998
1.11568	2.928472
1.11951	2.92795
1.12336	2.927432
1.12722	2.926918
1.13109	2.926407
1.13497	2.925901
1.13887	2.925398
1.14278	2.924899
1.14671	2.924404
1.15065	2.923912
1.1546	2.923424
1.15857	2.92294
1.16255	2.922459
1.16654	2.921982
1.17055	2.921508
1.17457	2.921038
1.1786	2.920572
1.18265	2.920108
1.18672	2.919649
1.19079	2.919192
1.19488	2.918739
1.19899	2.918289
1.20311	2.917843
1.20724	2.9174
1.21139	2.91696
1.21555	2.916523
1.21972	2.91609
1.22391	2.915659
1.22812	2.915232
1.23234	2.914808
1.23657	2.914387
1.24082	2.913969
1.24508	2.913554
1.24936	2.913142
1.25365	2.912734
1.25796	2.912328
1.26228	2.911925
1.26661	2.911525
1.27096	2.911128
1.27533	2.910733
1.27971	2.910342
1.28411	2.909953
1.28852	2.909568
1.29294	2.909185
1.29739	2.908804
1.30184	2.908427
1.30631	2.908052
1.3108	2.90768
1.3153	2.907311
1.31982	2.906944
1.32436	2.90658
1.32891	2.906218
1.33347	2.905859
1.33805	2.905503
1.34265	2.905149
1.34726	2.904798
1.35189	2.904449
1.35653	2.904102
1.36119	2.903759
1.36587	2.903417
1.37056	2.903078
1.37527	2.902742
1.37999	2.902407
1.38473	2.902075
1.38949	2.901746
1.39426	2.901419
1.39905	2.901094
1.40386	2.900771
1.40868	2.900451
1.41352	2.900133
1.41837	2.899817
1.42325	2.899503
1.42814	2.899192
1.43304	2.898883
1.43796	2.898576
1.4429	2.898271
1.44786	2.897968
1.45283	2.897667
1.45783	2.897369
1.46283	2.897072
1.46786	2.896778
1.4729	2.896485
1.47796	2.896195
1.48304	2.895907
1.48813	2.89562
1.49324	2.895336
1.49837	2.895053
1.50352	2.894773
1.50869	2.894494
1.51387	2.894218
1.51907	2.893943
1.52429	2.89367
1.52952	2.893399
1.53478	2.89313
1.54005	2.892863
1.54534	2.892598
1.55065	2.892334
1.55597	2.892072
1.56132	2.891812
1.56668	2.891554
1.57206	2.891297
1.57746	2.891043
1.58288	2.89079
1.58832	2.890538
1.59378	2.890289
1.59925	2.890041
1.60475	2.889795
1.61026	2.88955
1.61579	2.889307
1.62134	2.889066
1.62691	2.888826
1.6325	2.888588
1.63811	2.888352
1.64373	2.888117
1.64938	2.887883
1.65505	2.887652
1.66073	2.887421
1.66644	2.887193
1.67216	2.886966
1.6779	2.88674
1.68367	2.886516
1.68945	2.886293
1.69526	2.886072
1.70108	2.885852
1.70692	2.885634
1.71279	2.885417
1.71867	2.885201
1.72457	2.884987
1.7305	2.884775
1.73644	2.884564
1.74241	2.884354
1.74839	2.884145
1.7544	2.883938
1.76043	2.883732
1.76647	2.883528
1.77254	2.883325
1.77863	2.883123
1.78474	2.882923
1.79087	2.882723
1.79702	2.882525
1.8032	2.882329
1.80939	2.882133
1.8156	2.881939
1.82184	2.881746
1.8281	2.881555
1.83438	2.881364
1.84068	2.881175
1.847	2.880987
1.85335	2.8808
1.85972	2.880614
1.8661	2.88043
1.87251	2.880247
1.87895	2.880064
1.8854	2.879883
1.89188	2.879704
1.89838	2.879525
1.9049	2.879347
1.91144	2.879171
1.91801	2.878995
1.9246	2.878821
1.93121	2.878647
1.93784	2.878475
1.9445	2.878304
1.95118	2.878134
1.95788	2.877965
1.96461	2.877797
1.97135	2.87763
1.97813	2.877464
1.98492	2.877299
1.99174	2.877135
1.99858	2.876972
2.00545	2.87681
2.01234	2.876649
2.01925	2.876489
2.02619	2.876329
2.03315	2.876171
2.04013	2.876014
2.04714	2.875858
2.05417	2.875702
2.06123	2.875548
2.06831	2.875394
2.07541	2.875242
2.08254	2.87509
2.0897	2.874939
2.09687	2.874789
2.10408	2.87464
2.1113	2.874492
2.11856	2.874344
2.12584	2.874198
2.13314	2.874052
2.14047	2.873907
2.14782	2.873763
2.1552	2.87362
2.1626	2.873477
2.17003	2.873336
2.17748	2.873195
2.18496	2.873055
2.19247	2.872916
2.2	2.872777

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: —

AlAs (Aluminium arsenide): all datasets

Experimental data

Models and simulations

Rakić and Majewski 1996: n,k 0.221–2.48 µm n,k 0.2214–2.48 µm

About AlAs (Aluminium arsenide)

AlAs, or aluminum arsenide, is a III-V semiconductor compound that forms in a zincblende crystal structure. It is often used in conjunction with other III-V semiconductors like GaAs (gallium arsenide) to form heterostructures and quantum wells, which are essential components in modern optoelectronic devices. AlAs has a direct bandgap of approximately 2.16 eV at room temperature, making it transparent to visible light but absorbent in the ultraviolet range. One of its key attributes is its nearly lattice-matched compatibility with GaAs, allowing for high-quality epitaxial growth of multilayer structures. Such layered systems are critical in applications like high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs), quantum cascade lasers, and photodetectors. AlAs is also notable for its high thermal conductivity and good electron mobility, which makes it valuable in electronic applications that require effective heat dissipation. However, due to its composition including arsenic, AlAs must be handled with appropriate safety measures. Overall, AlAs remains a material of substantial scientific and technological interest, particularly for its role in enabling high-performance optoelectronic devices.

Aluminium arsenide - Wikipedia

More about AlAs (Aluminium arsenide) →

Provenance

Version: 1 (snapshot c5c2f18)
Source page: refractiveindex.info
Original file: database/data/main/AlAs/nk/Fern.yml
ID: ds_9ff32a84a6d7
API: /v1/datasets/ds_9ff32a84a6d7

Plot