Optical constants

Refractive index of Ge (Germanium)

Icenogle et al. 1976: n 2.5–12 µm; 293 K

Data
formula 2
Range
2.5–12 µm
Licence
CC0-1.0

Plot

Click the plot to set the calculator wavelength.

At one wavelength

Range 2.5–12 µm
Refractive index n
4.0136
Extinction coefficient k
0
Permittivity ε1
16.109
Permittivity ε2
0
Absorption coefficient α
0 cm⁻¹
Penetration depth δ = λ/(2πk)
— nm
Abbe number Vd
—
Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ
-0.00470443 µm⁻¹
Group index ng
4.03938
Group velocity dispersion
747.23 fs²/mm
Dispersion parameter D
-46.8698 ps/(nm·km)
Photon energy
0.226249 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

# Ge (Germanium): Icenogle et al. 1976: n 2.5–12 µm; 293 K
ge = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("main", "Ge", "Icenogle", ref="c5c2f188e848453def5970e347399d653df2ffc2")
print(ge.range_nm)  # (2500, 12000) nm
eps = ge.eps([5480])  # 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

Sellmeier (C in µm²) (formula 2), λ in µm
n2−1=8.28156+6.7288λ2λ2−0.44105+0.21307λ2λ2−3870.1

Valid from 2.5 to 12.0 µm.

Coefficients as stored
CiValue
C18.28156
C26.7288
C30.44105
C40.21307
C53870.1

Comments and conditions

293 K (20 °C)

References

1) Icenogle, B. C. Platt, W. L. Wolfe Refractive indexes and temperature coefficients of germanium and silicon, Appl. Opt. 15 2348-2351 (1976)
2) N. P. Barnes and M. S. Piltch. Temperature-dependent Sellmeier coefficients and nonlinear optics average power limit for germanium. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 69 178-180 (1979)
* Ref. 2 provides temperature-dependent Sellmeier equations based on data from Ref. 1.
  • doi:10.1364/ao.15.002348 Refractive indexes and temperature coefficients of germanium and silicon, Applied Optics (1976)
  • doi:10.1364/josa.69.000178 Temperature-dependent Sellmeier coefficients and nonlinear optics average power limit for germanium, Journal of the Optical Society of America (1979)

Cite

H. W. Icenogle, Ben C. Platt and William L. Wolfe. Refractive indexes and temperature coefficients of germanium and silicon. Applied Optics, 15, 2348 (1976), doi:10.1364/ao.15.002348; Norman P. Barnes and Martin S. Piltch. Temperature-dependent Sellmeier coefficients and nonlinear optics average power limit for germanium. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 69, 178 (1979), doi:10.1364/josa.69.000178; 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
Ge (Germanium), Icenogle et al. 1976: n 2.5–12 µm; 293 K: n and k versus wavelength
λ (µm)n
2.54.064592
2.509854.064062
2.519734.063537
2.529664.063017
2.539624.062501
2.549634.06199
2.559674.061483
2.569754.060981
2.579884.060484
2.590044.05999
2.600244.059501
2.610484.059017
2.620774.058536
2.631094.05806
2.641454.057588
2.651864.05712
2.662314.056656
2.672794.056196
2.683324.055741
2.693894.055289
2.70454.054841
2.715164.054397
2.725854.053957
2.736594.053521
2.747374.053088
2.758194.052659
2.769064.052235
2.779964.051813
2.790914.051396
2.801914.050981
2.812944.050571
2.824024.050164
2.835154.049761
2.846324.049361
2.857534.048964
2.868794.048571
2.880094.048181
2.891434.047795
2.902824.047412
2.914254.047032
2.925734.046656
2.937264.046283
2.948834.045912
2.960444.045546
2.972114.045182
2.983814.044821
2.995574.044464
3.007374.044109
3.019214.043758
3.031114.043409
3.043054.043063
3.055034.042721
3.067074.042381
3.079154.042044
3.091284.04171
3.103454.041379
3.115684.041051
3.127954.040725
3.140274.040403
3.152644.040083
3.165064.039765
3.177534.03945
3.190054.039138
3.202614.038829
3.215234.038522
3.227894.038218
3.240614.037916
3.253374.037617
3.266194.037321
3.279054.037027
3.291974.036735
3.304944.036446
3.317964.036159
3.331034.035875
3.344154.035593
3.357324.035313
3.370554.035036
3.383824.034761
3.397154.034488
3.410534.034218
3.423974.03395
3.437464.033684
3.4514.03342
3.464594.033159
3.478244.0329
3.491944.032642
3.505694.032387
3.51954.032134
3.533374.031884
3.547284.031635
3.561264.031388
3.575294.031144
3.589374.030901
3.603514.030661
3.61774.030422
3.631954.030185
3.646264.029951
3.660624.029718
3.675044.029487
3.689524.029258
3.704054.029031
3.718644.028806
3.733294.028583
3.7484.028362
3.762764.028142
3.777584.027924
3.792464.027708
3.80744.027494
3.82244.027281
3.837464.027071
3.852574.026862
3.867754.026654
3.882984.026449
3.898284.026245
3.913644.026043
3.929054.025842
3.944534.025643
3.960074.025446
3.975674.02525
3.991334.025056
4.007054.024863
4.022834.024672
4.038684.024483
4.054594.024295
4.070564.024109
4.086594.023924
4.102694.023741
4.118854.023559
4.135084.023378
4.151374.023199
4.167724.023022
4.184134.022846
4.200624.022671
4.217164.022498
4.233784.022327
4.250454.022156
4.26724.021987
4.2844.02182
4.300884.021653
4.317824.021488
4.334834.021325
4.35194.021162
4.369054.021001
4.386264.020842
4.403544.020683
4.420884.020526
4.43834.02037
4.455784.020216
4.473334.020063
4.490954.01991
4.508644.019759
4.52644.01961
4.544234.019461
4.562134.019314
4.58014.019168
4.598144.019023
4.616264.018879
4.634444.018737
4.65274.018595
4.671024.018455
4.689424.018315
4.70794.018177
4.726444.01804
4.745064.017904
4.763754.017769
4.782514.017636
4.801354.017503
4.820274.017371
4.839254.017241
4.858324.017111
4.877454.016982
4.896674.016855
4.915964.016728
4.935324.016603
4.954764.016478
4.974284.016355
4.993874.016232
5.013544.016111
5.033294.01599
5.053124.01587
5.073024.015752
5.093014.015634
5.113074.015517
5.133214.015401
5.153434.015286
5.173734.015172
5.194114.015059
5.214574.014946
5.235114.014835
5.255734.014724
5.276444.014614
5.297224.014506
5.318094.014398
5.339034.01429
5.360074.014184
5.381184.014079
5.402384.013974
5.423664.01387
5.445024.013767
5.466474.013665
5.4884.013563
5.509624.013463
5.531324.013363
5.553114.013264
5.574994.013165
5.596954.013068
5.618994.012971
5.641134.012875
5.663354.012779
5.685664.012685
5.708054.012591
5.730544.012498
5.753114.012405
5.775774.012314
5.798524.012223
5.821374.012132
5.84434.012043
5.867324.011954
5.890434.011866
5.913634.011778
5.936934.011691
5.960314.011605
5.983794.011519
6.007364.011435
6.031034.01135
6.054784.011267
6.078634.011184
6.102584.011101
6.126624.01102
6.150754.010938
6.174984.010858
6.19934.010778
6.223724.010699
6.248244.01062
6.272854.010542
6.297564.010465
6.322374.010388
6.347274.010311
6.372274.010236
6.397374.01016
6.422574.010086
6.447874.010012
6.473274.009938
6.498774.009865
6.524374.009793
6.550074.009721
6.575874.00965
6.601784.009579
6.627784.009509
6.653894.009439
6.68014.00937
6.706414.009301
6.732834.009233
6.759354.009165
6.785984.009098
6.812714.009031
6.839544.008965
6.866494.008899
6.893534.008834
6.920694.008769
6.947954.008705
6.975324.008641
7.002794.008577
7.030384.008514
7.058074.008452
7.085874.00839
7.113794.008328
7.141814.008267
7.169944.008207
7.198184.008146
7.226544.008087
7.2554.008027
7.283584.007968
7.312274.00791
7.341084.007852
7.369994.007794
7.399034.007737
7.428174.00768
7.457434.007623
7.486814.007567
7.51634.007511
7.545914.007456
7.575634.007401
7.605474.007347
7.635434.007293
7.665514.007239
7.69574.007185
7.726024.007132
7.756454.00708
7.7874.007027
7.817684.006976
7.848474.006924
7.879394.006873
7.910434.006822
7.941594.006771
7.972874.006721
8.004274.006671
8.03584.006622
8.067464.006573
8.099244.006524
8.131144.006475
8.163174.006427
8.195334.006379
8.227614.006332
8.260024.006285
8.292554.006238
8.325224.006191
8.358014.006145
8.390944.006099
8.423994.006053
8.457174.006008
8.490494.005963
8.523934.005918
8.557514.005873
8.591224.005829
8.625064.005785
8.659034.005742
8.693144.005698
8.727394.005655
8.761764.005612
8.796284.00557
8.830934.005527
8.865714.005485
8.900644.005444
8.93574.005402
8.970894.005361
9.006234.00532
9.041714.005279
9.077324.005239
9.113084.005198
9.148984.005158
9.185024.005118
9.22124.005079
9.257524.00504
9.293994.005001
9.33064.004962
9.367354.004923
9.404254.004885
9.44134.004847
9.478494.004809
9.515824.004771
9.553314.004733
9.590944.004696
9.628724.004659
9.666654.004622
9.704724.004585
9.742954.004549
9.781334.004513
9.819864.004477
9.858544.004441
9.897384.004405
9.936364.00437
9.97554.004334
10.01484.004299
10.05424.004264
10.09394.004229
10.13364.004195
10.17354.004161
10.21364.004126
10.25384.004092
10.29424.004058
10.33484.004025
10.37554.003991
10.41644.003958
10.45744.003925
10.49864.003892
10.53994.003859
10.58154.003826
10.62314.003793
10.6654.003761
10.7074.003729
10.74924.003697
10.79154.003665
10.8344.003633
10.87674.003601
10.91954.003569
10.96264.003538
11.00574.003507
11.04914.003476
11.09264.003445
11.13634.003414
11.18024.003383
11.22424.003352
11.26844.003322
11.31284.003291
11.35744.003261
11.40214.003231
11.4474.003201
11.49214.003171
11.53744.003141
11.58284.003112
11.62854.003082
11.67434.003052
11.72034.003023
11.76644.002994
11.81284.002965
11.85934.002935
11.9064.002906
11.95294.002878
124.002849

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
—