Optical constants

Refractive index of Fe (Iron)

Querry 1985: n,k 0.21–55.6 µm

Data: tabulated nk
Range: 0.21–55.56 µm
Points: 611
Licence: CC0-1.0

Axis Log x Log y

Click the plot to set the calculator wavelength.

At one wavelength

Refractive index n: 2.29924
Extinction coefficient k: 3.23668

Permittivity ε₁: -5.18959
Permittivity ε₂: 14.8838

Absorption coefficient α: 692194 cm⁻¹
Penetration depth δ = λ/(2πk): 28.8936 nm

Abbe number V_d: —
Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ: 2.4 µm⁻¹

Group index n_g: 0.889
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

# Fe (Iron): Querry 1985: n,k 0.21–55.6 µm
fe = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("main", "Fe", "Querry", ref="c5c2f188e848453def5970e347399d653df2ffc2")
print(fe.range_nm)  # (210, 55555.6) nm
eps = fe.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_868e4fce4035/lightsmith"
fe = ls.Tabulated.model_validate(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(url)))
print(fe.source)  # citation and provenance travel with the data

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

# ... load fe as above, then:
sim = ls.Simulation(
    particles=[ls.Particle(shape=ls.Sphere(radius_nm=50), material=fe)],
    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.

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

611 rows as published

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

Fe (Iron), Querry 1985: n,k 0.21–55.6 µm: n and k versus wavelength
λ (µm)	n	k
0.21	1.141	1.305
0.22	1.125	1.347
0.23	1.11	1.408
0.24	1.104	1.48
0.25	1.109	1.553
0.26	1.117	1.621
0.27	1.127	1.69
0.28	1.134	1.757
0.29	1.142	1.829
0.3	1.155	1.902
0.31	1.164	1.976
0.32	1.179	2.061
0.33	1.207	2.141
0.34	1.234	2.217
0.35	1.262	2.295
0.36	1.296	2.375
0.37	1.339	2.454
0.38	1.39	2.526
0.39	1.442	2.588
0.4	1.492	2.644
0.41	1.538	2.698
0.42	1.583	2.753
0.43	1.631	2.806
0.44	1.682	2.858
0.45	1.736	2.906
0.46	1.79	2.949
0.47	1.846	2.989
0.48	1.903	3.019
0.49	1.952	3.043
0.5	1.996	3.067
0.51	2.039	3.091
0.52	2.08	3.113
0.53	2.119	3.134
0.54	2.156	3.153
0.55	2.189	3.171
0.56	2.219	3.19
0.57	2.252	3.21
0.58	2.281	3.223
0.59	2.305	3.241
0.6	2.328	3.259
0.61	2.35	3.277
0.62	2.37	3.297
0.63	2.391	3.317
0.64	2.408	3.336
0.65	2.427	3.361
0.66	2.448	3.383
0.67	2.468	3.404
0.68	2.486	3.423
0.69	2.503	3.443
0.7	2.519	3.463
0.71	2.533	3.485
0.72	2.549	3.507
0.73	2.564	3.527
0.74	2.577	3.549
0.75	2.587	3.569
0.76	2.597	3.595
0.77	2.611	3.619
0.78	2.623	3.642
0.79	2.633	3.669
0.8	2.649	3.693
0.81	2.657	3.714
0.82	2.666	3.741
0.83	2.678	3.769
0.84	2.689	3.795
0.85	2.7	3.822
0.86	2.713	3.852
0.87	2.729	3.879
0.88	2.742	3.903
0.89	2.757	3.926
0.9	2.766	3.948
0.91	2.777	3.976
0.92	2.79	4.001
0.93	2.802	4.026
0.94	2.812	4.047
0.95	2.821	4.075
0.96	2.836	4.099
0.97	2.845	4.122
0.98	2.857	4.145
0.99	2.863	4.164
1.0	2.868	4.192
1.01	2.877	4.216
1.02	2.883	4.243
1.03	2.891	4.27
1.04	2.899	4.299
1.05	2.91	4.325
1.06	2.918	4.35
1.07	2.927	4.377
1.08	2.937	4.405
1.09	2.948	4.431
1.1	2.957	4.454
1.11	2.965	4.479
1.12	2.972	4.503
1.13	2.98	4.53
1.14	2.987	4.556
1.15	2.996	4.581
1.16	3.002	4.605
1.17	3.009	4.632
1.18	3.016	4.656
1.19	3.028	4.681
1.2	3.022	4.699
1.21	3.018	4.743
1.22	3.036	4.773
1.23	3.046	4.8
1.24	3.056	4.827
1.25	3.064	4.852
1.26	3.071	4.88
1.27	3.083	4.908
1.28	3.091	4.931
1.29	3.096	4.957
1.3	3.105	4.985
1.31	3.114	5.008
1.32	3.118	5.034
1.33	3.125	5.061
1.34	3.135	5.086
1.35	3.141	5.109
1.36	3.145	5.133
1.37	3.148	5.159
1.38	3.151	5.188
1.39	3.156	5.217
1.4	3.162	5.246
1.41	3.17	5.273
1.42	3.176	5.3
1.43	3.181	5.327
1.44	3.186	5.355
1.45	3.194	5.385
1.46	3.201	5.41
1.47	3.205	5.438
1.48	3.212	5.469
1.49	3.221	5.496
1.5	3.229	5.522
1.51	3.234	5.549
1.52	3.242	5.578
1.53	3.251	5.6
1.54	3.253	5.627
1.55	3.26	5.657
1.56	3.27	5.683
1.57	3.275	5.707
1.58	3.281	5.733
1.59	3.286	5.759
1.6	3.294	5.784
1.61	3.296	5.809
1.62	3.301	5.837
1.63	3.307	5.863
1.64	3.311	5.889
1.65	3.315	5.915
1.66	3.318	5.941
1.67	3.323	5.97
1.68	3.326	5.996
1.69	3.329	6.027
1.7	3.335	6.052
1.71	3.338	6.08
1.72	3.343	6.109
1.73	3.347	6.136
1.74	3.351	6.167
1.75	3.356	6.196
1.76	3.363	6.224
1.77	3.367	6.251
1.78	3.37	6.281
1.79	3.376	6.311
1.8	3.382	6.342
1.81	3.392	6.37
1.82	3.397	6.396
1.83	3.402	6.424
1.84	3.406	6.454
1.85	3.414	6.486
1.86	3.428	6.511
1.87	3.431	6.534
1.88	3.438	6.561
1.89	3.442	6.586
1.9	3.447	6.612
1.91	3.45	6.636
1.92	3.449	6.667
1.93	3.456	6.699
1.94	3.463	6.728
1.95	3.47	6.755
1.96	3.478	6.782
1.97	3.484	6.806
1.98	3.487	6.831
1.99	3.494	6.855
2.0	3.483	6.879
2.01	3.483	6.927
2.02	3.5	6.956
2.03	3.507	6.981
2.04	3.512	7.012
2.05	3.522	7.042
2.06	3.531	7.068
2.07	3.538	7.094
2.08	3.542	7.12
2.09	3.55	7.151
2.1	3.559	7.175
2.11	3.563	7.199
2.12	3.569	7.227
2.13	3.572	7.254
2.14	3.578	7.291
2.15	3.583	7.309
2.16	3.589	7.338
2.17	3.598	7.366
2.18	3.606	7.39
2.19	3.611	7.415
2.2	3.616	7.44
2.21	3.621	7.466
2.22	3.624	7.491
2.23	3.626	7.519
2.24	3.632	7.548
2.25	3.64	7.573
2.26	3.644	7.599
2.27	3.647	7.626
2.28	3.654	7.652
2.29	3.656	7.677
2.3	3.66	7.705
2.31	3.662	7.732
2.32	3.665	7.763
2.33	3.671	7.79
2.34	3.674	7.82
2.35	3.68	7.849
2.36	3.689	7.877
2.37	3.691	7.903
2.38	3.696	7.936
2.39	3.705	7.966
2.4	3.715	7.991
2.41	3.72	8.014
2.42	3.723	8.042
2.43	3.73	8.071
2.44	3.738	8.095
2.45	3.741	8.12
2.46	3.741	8.149
2.47	3.744	8.183
2.48	3.752	8.216
2.49	3.763	8.247
2.5063	3.789	8.294
2.5126	3.797	8.307
2.5189	3.805	8.32
2.5253	3.811	8.333
2.5316	3.816	8.346
2.5381	3.821	8.358
2.5445	3.825	8.372
2.551	3.829	8.385
2.5575	3.832	8.398
2.5641	3.835	8.412
2.5707	3.837	8.426
2.5773	3.839	8.44
2.584	3.84	8.455
2.5907	3.842	8.47
2.5974	3.843	8.485
2.6042	3.844	8.502
2.611	3.845	8.518
2.6178	3.846	8.535
2.6247	3.848	8.553
2.6316	3.85	8.57
2.6385	3.851	8.588
2.6455	3.853	8.606
2.6525	3.855	8.624
2.6596	3.857	8.642
2.6667	3.859	8.66
2.6738	3.861	8.679
2.681	3.863	8.697
2.6882	3.865	8.716
2.6954	3.866	8.735
2.7027	3.868	8.754
2.71	3.87	8.774
2.7174	3.873	8.794
2.7248	3.875	8.814
2.7322	3.877	8.834
2.7397	3.88	8.854
2.7473	3.882	8.874
2.7548	3.885	8.895
2.7624	3.888	8.915
2.7701	3.891	8.936
2.7778	3.894	8.957
2.7855	3.897	8.978
2.7933	3.901	8.999
2.8011	3.904	9.02
2.809	3.908	9.041
2.8169	3.912	9.062
2.8249	3.916	9.083
2.8329	3.919	9.104
2.8409	3.923	9.125
2.849	3.926	9.146
2.8571	3.93	9.167
2.8653	3.934	9.189
2.8736	3.938	9.211
2.8818	3.942	9.232
2.8902	3.946	9.254
2.8986	3.95	9.275
2.907	3.954	9.296
2.9155	3.958	9.318
2.924	3.961	9.34
2.9326	3.965	9.362
2.9412	3.97	9.383
2.9499	3.973	9.405
2.9586	3.977	9.426
2.9674	3.981	9.448
2.9762	3.985	9.471
2.9851	3.989	9.493
2.994	3.993	9.514
3.003	3.996	9.536
3.012	4.0	9.558
3.0211	4.003	9.58
3.0303	4.006	9.602
3.0395	4.008	9.624
3.0488	4.011	9.647
3.0581	4.013	9.67
3.0675	4.015	9.693
3.0769	4.018	9.717
3.0864	4.02	9.741
3.096	4.023	9.765
3.1056	4.026	9.789
3.1153	4.028	9.812
3.125	4.031	9.836
3.1348	4.033	9.86
3.1447	4.034	9.865
3.1546	4.036	9.91
3.1646	4.038	9.936
3.1746	4.04	9.962
3.1847	4.042	9.988
3.1949	4.044	10.014
3.2051	4.046	10.04
3.2154	4.048	10.067
3.2258	4.051	10.094
3.2362	4.052	10.121
3.2468	4.054	10.1
3.2573	4.057	10.177
3.268	4.059	10.205
3.2787	4.062	10.233
3.2895	4.065	10.262
3.3003	4.068	10.291
3.3113	4.071	10.32
3.3223	4.075	10.349
3.3333	4.079	10.377
3.3445	4.082	10.406
3.3557	4.086	10.435
3.367	4.089	10.463
3.3784	4.092	10.492
3.3898	4.096	10.522
3.4014	4.099	10.551
3.413	4.102	10.581
3.4247	4.106	10.61
3.4364	4.109	10.64
3.4483	4.113	10.67
3.4602	4.116	10.699
3.4722	4.119	10.729
3.4843	4.122	10.759
3.4965	4.125	10.789
3.5088	4.128	10.819
3.5211	4.131	10.849
3.5336	4.132	10.879
3.5461	4.134	10.91
3.5587	4.135	10.941
3.5714	4.137	10.973
3.5842	4.139	11.004
3.5971	4.14	11.036
3.6101	4.141	11.068
3.6232	4.141	11.101
3.6364	4.142	11.134
3.6496	4.142	11.147
3.663	4.141	11.201
3.6765	4.141	11.237
3.69	4.141	11.272
3.7037	4.142	11.309
3.7175	4.142	11.345
3.7313	4.142	11.382
3.7453	4.143	11.42
3.7594	4.144	11.457
3.7736	4.145	11.495
3.7879	4.145	11.533
3.8023	4.146	11.572
3.8168	4.147	11.612
3.8314	4.141	11.652
3.8462	4.149	11.692
3.861	4.151	11.733
3.876	4.153	11.774
3.8911	4.155	11.815
3.9063	4.157	11.857
3.9216	4.159	11.898
3.937	4.162	11.94
3.9526	4.164	11.982
3.9683	4.166	12.024
3.9841	4.168	12.068
4.0	4.171	12.111
4.0161	4.174	12.156
4.0323	4.178	12.2
4.0486	4.181	12.243
4.065	4.185	12.287
4.0816	4.189	12.33
4.0984	4.192	12.374
4.1152	4.195	12.418
4.1322	4.197	12.462
4.1494	4.2	12.507
4.1667	4.203	12.552
4.1841	4.205	12.597
4.2017	4.207	12.642
4.2194	4.208	12.688
4.2373	4.209	12.734
4.2553	4.21	12.782
4.2735	4.211	12.83
4.2918	4.212	12.878
4.3103	4.213	12.927
4.329	4.214	12.977
4.3478	4.214	13.026
4.3668	4.215	13.077
4.386	4.215	13.129
4.4053	4.216	13.181
4.4248	4.216	13.234
4.4444	4.217	13.288
4.4643	4.219	13.341
4.4843	4.221	13.395
4.5045	4.223	13.449
4.5249	4.224	13.503
4.5455	4.224	13.557
4.5662	4.224	13.613
4.5872	4.224	13.669
4.6083	4.223	13.726
4.6296	4.222	13.784
4.6512	4.222	13.843
4.6729	4.221	13.903
4.6948	4.221	13.964
4.717	4.221	14.025
4.7393	4.221	14.087
4.7619	4.221	14.15
4.7847	4.221	14.213
4.8077	4.221	14.278
4.8309	4.221	14.343
4.8544	4.221	14.409
4.878	4.221	14.476
4.902	4.221	14.544
4.9261	4.221	14.613
4.9505	4.222	14.682
4.9751	4.224	14.752
5.0	4.225	14.823
5.0251	4.226	14.894
5.0505	4.227	14.966
5.0761	4.229	15.039
5.102	4.23	15.113
5.1282	4.232	15.187
5.1546	4.234	15.262
5.1813	4.235	15.338
5.2083	4.237	15.414
5.2356	4.238	15.492
5.2632	4.239	15.57
5.291	4.24	15.65
5.3191	4.242	15.731
5.3476	4.244	15.814
5.3763	4.247	15.896
5.4054	4.249	15.98
5.4348	4.252	16.064
5.4645	4.254	16.149
5.4945	4.255	16.236
5.5249	4.258	16.325
5.5556	4.261	16.414
5.5866	4.266	16.504
5.618	4.271	16.594
5.6497	4.276	16.684
5.6818	4.28	16.774
5.7143	4.283	16.865
5.7471	4.284	16.957
5.7803	4.285	17.052
5.814	4.286	17.149
5.848	4.288	17.248
5.8824	4.291	17.348
5.9172	4.294	17.449
5.9524	4.296	17.551
5.988	4.299	17.655
6.0241	4.301	17.761
6.0606	4.305	17.868
6.0976	4.309	17.976
6.135	4.313	18.085
6.1728	4.316	18.195
6.2112	4.319	18.307
6.25	4.321	18.422
6.2893	4.324	18.538
6.3291	4.327	18.656
6.3694	4.331	18.776
6.4103	4.334	18.899
6.4516	4.338	19.025
6.4935	4.344	19.153
6.5359	4.351	19.281
6.5789	4.358	19.412
6.6225	4.366	19.544
6.6667	4.374	19.678
6.7114	4.383	19.814
6.7568	4.393	19.952
6.8027	4.405	20.02
6.8493	4.417	20.233
6.8966	4.43	20.375
6.9444	4.442	20.518
6.993	4.455	20.664
7.0423	4.469	20.813
7.0922	4.484	20.963
7.1429	4.5	21.115
7.1942	4.517	21.269
7.2464	4.534	21.423
7.2993	4.552	21.58
7.3529	4.569	21.739
7.4074	4.587	21.901
7.4627	4.606	22.065
7.5188	4.628	22.232
7.5758	4.652	22.399
7.6336	4.676	22.565
7.6923	4.698	22.733
7.7519	4.718	22.904
7.8125	4.739	23.08
7.874	4.761	23.259
7.9365	4.786	23.442
8.0	4.814	23.626
8.0645	4.844	23.809
8.1301	4.873	23.992
8.1967	4.901	24.177
8.2645	4.928	24.365
8.3333	4.955	24.554
8.4034	4.982	24.746
8.4746	5.009	24.941
8.547	5.036	25.136
8.6207	5.061	25.334
8.6957	5.084	25.534
8.7719	5.104	25.738
8.8496	5.122	25.946
8.9286	5.138	26.161
9.009	5.155	26.382
9.0909	5.171	26.608
9.1743	5.188	26.836
9.2593	5.205	27.075
9.3458	5.221	27.317
9.434	5.239	27.566
9.5238	5.259	27.82
9.6153	5.279	28.078
9.7087	5.298	28.342
9.8039	5.318	28.613
9.901	5.339	28.891
10.0	5.362	29.175
10.101	5.387	29.466
10.2041	5.415	29.762
10.3093	5.444	30.064
10.4167	5.475	30.371
10.5263	5.507	30.682
10.6383	5.539	30.999
10.7527	5.569	31.323
10.8696	5.6	31.654
10.989	5.63	31.994
11.1111	5.662	32.342
11.236	5.693	32.699
11.3636	5.726	33.065
11.4943	5.76	33.441
11.6279	5.796	33.827
11.7647	5.832	34.222
11.9048	5.867	34.629
12.0482	5.907	35.05
12.1951	5.951	35.486
12.3457	6.005	35.93
12.5	6.063	36.38
12.6582	6.122	36.839
12.8205	6.181	37.309
12.987	6.243	37.793
13.1579	6.308	38.289
13.3333	6.379	38.797
13.5135	6.453	39.316
13.6986	6.53	39.847
13.8889	6.609	40.389
14.0845	6.689	40.946
14.2857	6.77	41.516
14.4928	6.851	42.102
14.7059	6.931	42.706
14.9254	7.011	43.332
15.1515	7.095	43.981
15.3846	7.182	44.654
15.625	7.275	45.352
15.873	7.379	46.076
16.129	7.495	46.822
16.3934	7.624	47.586
16.6667	7.758	48.367
16.9492	7.894	49.168
17.2414	8.028	49.996
17.5439	8.167	50.854
17.8571	8.31	51.742
18.1818	8.459	52.659
18.5185	8.604	53.611
18.8679	8.749	54.608
19.2308	8.901	55.652
19.6078	9.066	56.742
20.0	9.238	57.878
20.4082	9.413	59.066
20.8333	9.589	60.32
21.2766	9.779	61.651
21.7391	9.991	63.067
22.2222	10.249	64.565
22.7273	10.553	66.135
23.2558	10.907	67.77
23.8095	11.294	69.477
24.3902	11.721	71.267
25.0	12.195	73.151
25.641	12.729	75.133
26.3158	13.336	77.211
27.027	14.017	79.39
27.7778	14.786	81.664
28.5714	15.637	84.044
29.4118	16.597	86.524
30.303	17.653	89.1
31.25	18.813	91.768
32.2581	20.05	94.541
33.3333	21.354	97.458
34.4828	22.745	100.563
35.7143	24.261	103.902
37.037	25.982	107.465
38.4615	27.921	111.24
40.0	30.095	115.205
41.6667	32.461	119.413
43.4793	35.07	123.929
45.4545	37.988	128.832
47.619	41.364	134.11
50.0	45.257	139.754
52.6316	49.736	145.745
55.5556	54.848	152.133

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: —

Fe (Iron): all datasets

Experimental data

Models and simulations

Werner et al. 2009: DFT calculations; n,k 0.0176–2.48 µm n,k 0.01759–2.48 µm

About Fe (Iron)

Iron (Fe) is a common element with widespread industrial applications, including construction, transportation, and manufacturing. In the context of optical systems, iron is not typically used in its elemental form due to its propensity for oxidation and poor transparency to light. However, iron-doped materials, such as iron-doped silica, are used for specialized applications such as in optical fibers for telecommunications and sensors. Iron is also used in the form of thin films in some optical components where its magnetic properties are advantageous. Additionally, mirrors for high-power laser applications can be made from polished iron or iron alloys, though this is less common than materials like copper. Overall, while elemental iron is not a primary material in optical applications, its properties are leveraged in various forms and composites for specialized uses.

More about Fe (Iron) →

Provenance

Version: 1 (snapshot c5c2f18)
Source page: refractiveindex.info
Original file: database/data/main/Fe/nk/Querry.yml
ID: ds_868e4fce4035
API: /v1/datasets/ds_868e4fce4035

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