Optical constants

Refractive index of C₃H₅(OH)₃ (Glycerol)

Rheims et al. 1997: n 0.589–1.05 µm

Data: formula 5
Range: 0.5893–1.05 µm
Temperature: 298 K
Licence: CC0-1.0

Axis Log x Log y

Click the plot to set the calculator wavelength.

At one wavelength

Refractive index n: 1.46669
Extinction coefficient k: 0

Permittivity ε₁: 2.15117
Permittivity ε₂: 0

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

Abbe number V_d: —
Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ: -0.0197665 µm⁻¹

Group index n_g: 1.48224
Group velocity dispersion: 54.577 fs²/mm

Dispersion parameter D: -165.982 ps/(nm·km)
Photon energy: 1.5754 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

# C3H5(OH)3 (Glycerol): Rheims et al. 1997: n 0.589–1.05 µm
c3h5 = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("organic", "glycerol", "Rheims", ref="c5c2f188e848453def5970e347399d653df2ffc2")
print(c3h5.range_nm)  # (589.3, 1050) nm
eps = c3h5.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_f68b4384ec23/lightsmith"
c3h5 = ls.Tabulated.model_validate(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(url)))
print(c3h5.source)  # citation and provenance travel with the data

Any dataset here, as the library's Tabulated material (glycerol/rheims-1997).

# ... load c3h5 as above, then:
sim = ls.Simulation(
    particles=[ls.Particle(shape=ls.Sphere(radius_nm=50), material=c3h5)],
    medium_index=1.0,
    wavelengths=ls.WavelengthRange(start_nm=590, 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.

Dispersion formula

Cauchy (formula 5), λ in µm

n = 1.45797 + 0.00598 λ^{- 2.0} - 0.00036 λ^{- 4.0}

Valid from 0.5893 to 1.05 µm.

Coefficients as stored

C_i	Value
C1	1.45797
C2	0.00598
C3	-2.0
C4	-0.00036
C5	-4.0

Comments and conditions

25 °C

Conditions

temperature: 298 K

References

J. Rheims, J Köser, T Wriedt. Refractive-index measurements in the near-IR using an Abbe refractometer. Meas. Sci. Technol. 8, 601-605 (1997)

doi:10.1088/0957-0233/8/6/003 Refractive-index measurements in the near-IR using an Abbe refractometer, Measurement Science and Technology (1997)

Cite

J Rheims, J Köser and T Wriedt. Refractive-index measurements in the near-IR using an Abbe refractometer. Measurement Science and Technology, 8, 601-605 (1997), doi:10.1088/0957-0233/8/6/003; 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

C3H5(OH)3 (Glycerol), Rheims et al. 1997: n 0.589–1.05 µm: n and k versus wavelength
λ (µm)	n
0.5893	1.472205
0.590154	1.472172
0.591009	1.47214
0.591865	1.472107
0.592722	1.472075
0.593581	1.472042
0.594441	1.47201
0.595302	1.471978
0.596164	1.471946
0.597028	1.471913
0.597893	1.471881
0.598759	1.471849
0.599627	1.471817
0.600495	1.471785
0.601365	1.471753
0.602236	1.471721
0.603109	1.471689
0.603983	1.471658
0.604858	1.471626
0.605734	1.471594
0.606611	1.471562
0.60749	1.471531
0.60837	1.471499
0.609252	1.471468
0.610134	1.471436
0.611018	1.471405
0.611903	1.471373
0.61279	1.471342
0.613677	1.471311
0.614566	1.471279
0.615457	1.471248
0.616348	1.471217
0.617241	1.471186
0.618135	1.471155
0.619031	1.471124
0.619928	1.471093
0.620826	1.471062
0.621725	1.471031
0.622626	1.471
0.623528	1.47097
0.624431	1.470939
0.625336	1.470908
0.626242	1.470878
0.627149	1.470847
0.628058	1.470816
0.628967	1.470786
0.629879	1.470756
0.630791	1.470725
0.631705	1.470695
0.63262	1.470665
0.633536	1.470634
0.634454	1.470604
0.635373	1.470574
0.636294	1.470544
0.637216	1.470514
0.638139	1.470484
0.639063	1.470454
0.639989	1.470424
0.640916	1.470394
0.641845	1.470365
0.642775	1.470335
0.643706	1.470305
0.644638	1.470276
0.645572	1.470246
0.646507	1.470217
0.647444	1.470187
0.648382	1.470158
0.649321	1.470128
0.650262	1.470099
0.651204	1.47007
0.652147	1.47004
0.653092	1.470011
0.654038	1.469982
0.654986	1.469953
0.655935	1.469924
0.656885	1.469895
0.657836	1.469866
0.658789	1.469837
0.659744	1.469809
0.6607	1.46978
0.661657	1.469751
0.662615	1.469723
0.663575	1.469694
0.664537	1.469665
0.665499	1.469637
0.666463	1.469608
0.667429	1.46958
0.668396	1.469552
0.669364	1.469523
0.670334	1.469495
0.671305	1.469467
0.672277	1.469439
0.673251	1.469411
0.674227	1.469383
0.675203	1.469355
0.676182	1.469327
0.677161	1.469299
0.678142	1.469271
0.679125	1.469243
0.680108	1.469216
0.681094	1.469188
0.68208	1.46916
0.683068	1.469133
0.684058	1.469105
0.685049	1.469078
0.686041	1.469051
0.687035	1.469023
0.688031	1.468996
0.689027	1.468969
0.690026	1.468941
0.691025	1.468914
0.692026	1.468887
0.693029	1.46886
0.694033	1.468833
0.695038	1.468806
0.696045	1.468779
0.697053	1.468753
0.698063	1.468726
0.699075	1.468699
0.700087	1.468672
0.701102	1.468646
0.702117	1.468619
0.703134	1.468593
0.704153	1.468566
0.705173	1.46854
0.706195	1.468513
0.707218	1.468487
0.708242	1.468461
0.709268	1.468435
0.710296	1.468409
0.711325	1.468382
0.712355	1.468356
0.713387	1.46833
0.714421	1.468304
0.715456	1.468279
0.716492	1.468253
0.71753	1.468227
0.71857	1.468201
0.719611	1.468175
0.720653	1.46815
0.721697	1.468124
0.722743	1.468099
0.72379	1.468073
0.724838	1.468048
0.725888	1.468022
0.72694	1.467997
0.727993	1.467972
0.729048	1.467947
0.730104	1.467921
0.731162	1.467896
0.732221	1.467871
0.733282	1.467846
0.734344	1.467821
0.735408	1.467796
0.736473	1.467772
0.73754	1.467747
0.738608	1.467722
0.739678	1.467697
0.74075	1.467673
0.741823	1.467648
0.742898	1.467623
0.743974	1.467599
0.745052	1.467574
0.746131	1.46755
0.747212	1.467526
0.748295	1.467501
0.749379	1.467477
0.750464	1.467453
0.751551	1.467429
0.75264	1.467405
0.753731	1.467381
0.754822	1.467357
0.755916	1.467333
0.757011	1.467309
0.758108	1.467285
0.759206	1.467261
0.760306	1.467238
0.761407	1.467214
0.76251	1.46719
0.763615	1.467167
0.764721	1.467143
0.765829	1.46712
0.766939	1.467096
0.76805	1.467073
0.769162	1.467049
0.770277	1.467026
0.771392	1.467003
0.77251	1.46698
0.773629	1.466957
0.77475	1.466934
0.775872	1.46691
0.776996	1.466887
0.778122	1.466865
0.779249	1.466842
0.780378	1.466819
0.781508	1.466796
0.782641	1.466773
0.783774	1.466751
0.78491	1.466728
0.786047	1.466705
0.787186	1.466683
0.788326	1.46666
0.789468	1.466638
0.790612	1.466616
0.791757	1.466593
0.792904	1.466571
0.794053	1.466549
0.795203	1.466527
0.796355	1.466504
0.797509	1.466482
0.798664	1.46646
0.799821	1.466438
0.80098	1.466416
0.80214	1.466394
0.803302	1.466373
0.804466	1.466351
0.805632	1.466329
0.806799	1.466307
0.807968	1.466286
0.809138	1.466264
0.81031	1.466242
0.811484	1.466221
0.81266	1.466199
0.813837	1.466178
0.815016	1.466157
0.816197	1.466135
0.817379	1.466114
0.818563	1.466093
0.819749	1.466072
0.820937	1.466051
0.822126	1.46603
0.823317	1.466009
0.82451	1.465988
0.825704	1.465967
0.8269	1.465946
0.828098	1.465925
0.829298	1.465904
0.830499	1.465883
0.831702	1.465863
0.832907	1.465842
0.834114	1.465821
0.835322	1.465801
0.836532	1.46578
0.837744	1.46576
0.838958	1.465739
0.840173	1.465719
0.84139	1.465699
0.842609	1.465678
0.84383	1.465658
0.845053	1.465638
0.846277	1.465618
0.847503	1.465598
0.848731	1.465578
0.84996	1.465558
0.851191	1.465538
0.852425	1.465518
0.853659	1.465498
0.854896	1.465478
0.856135	1.465459
0.857375	1.465439
0.858617	1.465419
0.859861	1.4654
0.861106	1.46538
0.862354	1.46536
0.863603	1.465341
0.864854	1.465321
0.866107	1.465302
0.867362	1.465283
0.868619	1.465263
0.869877	1.465244
0.871137	1.465225
0.872399	1.465206
0.873663	1.465187
0.874929	1.465168
0.876196	1.465149
0.877465	1.46513
0.878737	1.465111
0.88001	1.465092
0.881284	1.465073
0.882561	1.465054
0.88384	1.465035
0.88512	1.465016
0.886402	1.464998
0.887687	1.464979
0.888973	1.464961
0.89026	1.464942
0.89155	1.464924
0.892842	1.464905
0.894135	1.464887
0.89543	1.464868
0.896728	1.46485
0.898027	1.464832
0.899328	1.464813
0.900631	1.464795
0.901935	1.464777
0.903242	1.464759
0.90455	1.464741
0.905861	1.464723
0.907173	1.464705
0.908487	1.464687
0.909804	1.464669
0.911122	1.464651
0.912441	1.464633
0.913763	1.464616
0.915087	1.464598
0.916413	1.46458
0.91774	1.464563
0.91907	1.464545
0.920401	1.464527
0.921735	1.46451
0.92307	1.464492
0.924407	1.464475
0.925746	1.464458
0.927088	1.46444
0.928431	1.464423
0.929776	1.464406
0.931123	1.464388
0.932472	1.464371
0.933822	1.464354
0.935175	1.464337
0.93653	1.46432
0.937887	1.464303
0.939245	1.464286
0.940606	1.464269
0.941969	1.464252
0.943333	1.464235
0.9447	1.464219
0.946069	1.464202
0.947439	1.464185
0.948812	1.464168
0.950186	1.464152
0.951563	1.464135
0.952941	1.464119
0.954322	1.464102
0.955704	1.464086
0.957089	1.464069
0.958475	1.464053
0.959864	1.464036
0.961254	1.46402
0.962647	1.464004
0.964042	1.463988
0.965438	1.463971
0.966837	1.463955
0.968237	1.463939
0.96964	1.463923
0.971045	1.463907
0.972452	1.463891
0.97386	1.463875
0.975271	1.463859
0.976684	1.463843
0.978099	1.463827
0.979516	1.463812
0.980935	1.463796
0.982356	1.46378
0.983779	1.463764
0.985204	1.463749
0.986632	1.463733
0.988061	1.463718
0.989492	1.463702
0.990926	1.463687
0.992361	1.463671
0.993799	1.463656
0.995239	1.46364
0.99668	1.463625
0.998124	1.46361
0.99957	1.463595
1.00102	1.463579
1.00247	1.463564
1.00392	1.463549
1.00538	1.463534
1.00683	1.463519
1.00829	1.463504
1.00975	1.463489
1.01121	1.463474
1.01268	1.463459
1.01415	1.463444
1.01562	1.463429
1.01709	1.463414
1.01856	1.4634
1.02004	1.463385
1.02151	1.46337
1.02299	1.463355
1.02447	1.463341
1.02596	1.463326
1.02745	1.463312
1.02893	1.463297
1.03042	1.463283
1.03192	1.463268
1.03341	1.463254
1.03491	1.46324
1.03641	1.463225
1.03791	1.463211
1.03941	1.463197
1.04092	1.463182
1.04243	1.463168
1.04394	1.463154
1.04545	1.46314
1.04696	1.463126
1.04848	1.463112
1.05	1.463098

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: —

C₃H₅(OH)₃ (Glycerol): all datasets

About C3H5(OH)3 (Glycerol)

Glycerol (C₃H₈O₃), also known as glycerine or glycerin, is a simple polyol compound. It's a viscous, colorless, odorless, and sweet-tasting liquid that is hygroscopic and miscible with water. Because of its three hydroxyl (OH) groups, glycerol exhibits solvency properties that can be used in various applications. Commonly derived from the saponification of triglycerides, it is used extensively in the food industry as a sweetener and humectant. Besides food, glycerol finds its utility in pharmaceutical formulations, cosmetics, antifreeze, and as a substrate in microbial fermentation processes. It is also a by-product of biodiesel production. In the realm of optics and photonics, its high viscosity and ability to refract light have made it useful in certain optical applications and experiments. Chemical formula: C₃H₅(OH)₃

More about C3H5(OH)3 (Glycerol) →

Provenance

Version: 1 (snapshot c5c2f18)
Source page: refractiveindex.info
Original file: database/data/organic/C3H8O3 - glycerol/nk/Rheims.yml
ID: ds_f68b4384ec23
API: /v1/datasets/ds_f68b4384ec23

Plot