Optical constants
Refractive index of Kapton
French et al. 2009: n 0.19–1.59 µm, k 0.48–2.49 µm
- Data
- tabulated n + tabulated k
- Range
- 0.19–1.59 µm
- Points
- 141
- Licence
- CC0-1.0
Plot
Click the plot to set the calculator wavelength. Note: k data cover 480-2490 nm only; k = 0 elsewhere in the n range 190-1590 nm.
At one wavelength
- Refractive index n
- 1.81832
- Extinction coefficient k
- 0.000127011
- Permittivity ε1
- 3.30629
- Permittivity ε2
- 0.000461894
- Absorption coefficient α
- 27.1625 cm⁻¹
- Penetration depth δ = λ/(2πk)
- 736309 nm
- Abbe number Vd
- —
- Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ
- -0.238 µm⁻¹
- Group index ng
- 1.95817
- Group velocity dispersion
- — fs²/mm
- Dispersion parameter D
- — ps/(nm·km)
- Photon energy
- 2.11001 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
# Kapton: French et al. 2009: n 0.19–1.59 µm, k 0.48–2.49 µm
kapton = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("other", "Kapton", "French", ref="c5c2f188e848453def5970e347399d653df2ffc2")
print(kapton.range_nm) # (190, 1590) nm
eps = kapton.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_8aed62e3e839/lightsmith"
kapton = ls.Tabulated.model_validate(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(url)))
print(kapton.source) # citation and provenance travel with the data
Any dataset here, as the library's Tabulated material (kapton/french-2009).
# ... load kapton as above, then:
sim = ls.Simulation(
particles=[ls.Particle(shape=ls.Sphere(radius_nm=50), material=kapton)],
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"]).
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
- k data cover 480-2490 nm only; k = 0 elsewhere in the n range 190-1590 nm
References
- doi:10.1109/pvsc.2009.5411657 Optical properties of materials for concentrator photovoltaic systems, 2009 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) (2009)
Cite
R. H. French et al.. Optical properties of materials for concentrator photovoltaic systems. 2009 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), 000394-000399 (2009), doi:10.1109/pvsc.2009.5411657; Data from the refractiveindex.info database (M. N. Polyanskiy, Sci. Data 11, 94 (2024), doi:10.1038/s41597-023-02898-2)
Data
Computed on 141 wavelengths, the same grid as the API and the library| λ (µm) | n | k |
|---|---|---|
| 0.19 | 1.34312 | 0 |
| 0.2 | 1.46582 | 0 |
| 0.21 | 1.61203 | 0 |
| 0.22 | 1.79919 | 0 |
| 0.23 | 1.92516 | 0 |
| 0.24 | 2.00683 | 0 |
| 0.25 | 2.12061 | 0 |
| 0.26 | 2.0767 | 0 |
| 0.27 | 2.00353 | 0 |
| 0.28 | 2.01765 | 0 |
| 0.29 | 2.09624 | 0 |
| 0.3 | 2.19452 | 0 |
| 0.31 | 2.1957 | 0 |
| 0.32 | 2.14546 | 0 |
| 0.33 | 2.11443 | 0 |
| 0.34 | 2.08695 | 0 |
| 0.35 | 2.05832 | 0 |
| 0.36 | 2.03094 | 0 |
| 0.37 | 1.99944 | 0 |
| 0.38 | 1.97766 | 0 |
| 0.39 | 1.95942 | 0 |
| 0.4 | 1.9456 | 0 |
| 0.41 | 1.93248 | 0 |
| 0.42 | 1.92005 | 0 |
| 0.43 | 1.91007 | 0 |
| 0.44 | 1.90021 | 0 |
| 0.45 | 1.89071 | 0 |
| 0.46 | 1.88268 | 0 |
| 0.47 | 1.87435 | 0 |
| 0.48 | 1.8662 | 0.000893805 |
| 0.49 | 1.85904 | 0.000827273 |
| 0.5 | 1.85291 | 0.000693991 |
| 0.51 | 1.84727 | 0.000515311 |
| 0.52 | 1.84206 | 0.000430733 |
| 0.53 | 1.83685 | 0.00034601 |
| 0.54 | 1.83256 | 0.000258291 |
| 0.55 | 1.82952 | 0.000213847 |
| 0.56 | 1.82607 | 0.000179144 |
| 0.57 | 1.82293 | 0.00014961 |
| 0.58 | 1.82013 | 0.000135945 |
| 0.59 | 1.81775 | 0.00012419 |
| 0.6 | 1.81497 | 0.000113835 |
| 0.61 | 1.81216 | 0.000104696 |
| 0.62 | 1.81064 | 9.723980e-05 |
| 0.63 | 1.80807 | 9.003770e-05 |
| 0.64 | 1.80529 | 8.431090e-05 |
| 0.65 | 1.80334 | 7.858420e-05 |
| 0.66 | 1.80122 | 7.458530e-05 |
| 0.67 | 1.7994 | 7.083680e-05 |
| 0.68 | 1.79832 | 6.727210e-05 |
| 0.69 | 1.79648 | 6.383030e-05 |
| 0.7 | 1.7947 | 6.065180e-05 |
| 0.71 | 1.79319 | 5.802000e-05 |
| 0.72 | 1.79208 | 5.543410e-05 |
| 0.73 | 1.79045 | 5.371660e-05 |
| 0.74 | 1.78837 | 5.199900e-05 |
| 0.75 | 1.78793 | 5.052620e-05 |
| 0.76 | 1.78737 | 4.912440e-05 |
| 0.77 | 1.78654 | 4.729850e-05 |
| 0.78 | 1.78459 | 4.504850e-05 |
| 0.79 | 1.78397 | 4.304000e-05 |
| 0.8 | 1.78368 | 4.186410e-05 |
| 0.81 | 1.78237 | 4.068810e-05 |
| 0.82 | 1.78107 | 4.111510e-05 |
| 0.83 | 1.78018 | 4.162720e-05 |
| 0.84 | 1.78018 | 4.161030e-05 |
| 0.85 | 1.77925 | 4.133720e-05 |
| 0.86 | 1.77799 | 4.083360e-05 |
| 0.87 | 1.77647 | 3.998140e-05 |
| 0.88 | 1.77639 | 3.918850e-05 |
| 0.89 | 1.77639 | 3.881910e-05 |
| 0.9 | 1.77631 | 3.844970e-05 |
| 0.91 | 1.77392 | 3.852460e-05 |
| 0.92 | 1.7728 | 3.867960e-05 |
| 0.93 | 1.77261 | 3.899260e-05 |
| 0.94 | 1.77261 | 3.942410e-05 |
| 0.95 | 1.77261 | 3.985580e-05 |
| 0.96 | 1.77261 | 4.028790e-05 |
| 0.97 | 1.77261 | 4.071400e-05 |
| 0.98 | 1.77079 | 4.084300e-05 |
| 0.99 | 1.76907 | 4.097200e-05 |
| 1 | 1.76885 | 4.062890e-05 |
| 1.01 | 1.769 | 4.012320e-05 |
| 1.02 | 1.76905 | 3.974690e-05 |
| 1.03 | 1.76883 | 3.951770e-05 |
| 1.04 | 1.76902 | 3.953320e-05 |
| 1.05 | 1.76924 | 4.057500e-05 |
| 1.06 | 1.76937 | 4.161680e-05 |
| 1.07 | 1.76633 | 4.238080e-05 |
| 1.08 | 1.76503 | 4.311950e-05 |
| 1.09 | 1.76503 | 4.365060e-05 |
| 1.1 | 1.76503 | 4.406540e-05 |
| 1.11 | 1.76503 | 4.485850e-05 |
| 1.12 | 1.76503 | 4.631010e-05 |
| 1.13 | 1.76503 | 4.751500e-05 |
| 1.14 | 1.76503 | 4.618940e-05 |
| 1.15 | 1.76503 | 4.486390e-05 |
| 1.16 | 1.76503 | 4.465160e-05 |
| 1.17 | 1.76503 | 4.469480e-05 |
| 1.18 | 1.76428 | 4.473090e-05 |
| 1.19 | 1.76233 | 4.476070e-05 |
| 1.2 | 1.76159 | 4.468930e-05 |
| 1.21 | 1.76124 | 4.433250e-05 |
| 1.22 | 1.76124 | 4.397570e-05 |
| 1.23 | 1.76124 | 4.434210e-05 |
| 1.24 | 1.76124 | 4.471860e-05 |
| 1.25 | 1.76124 | 4.537060e-05 |
| 1.26 | 1.76124 | 4.613500e-05 |
| 1.27 | 1.76124 | 4.656310e-05 |
| 1.28 | 1.76124 | 4.655350e-05 |
| 1.29 | 1.76124 | 4.660550e-05 |
| 1.3 | 1.76124 | 4.698380e-05 |
| 1.31 | 1.76124 | 4.736210e-05 |
| 1.32 | 1.76124 | 4.665990e-05 |
| 1.33 | 1.76124 | 4.581430e-05 |
| 1.34 | 1.76124 | 4.696010e-05 |
| 1.35 | 1.76124 | 4.939380e-05 |
| 1.36 | 1.76124 | 5.171100e-05 |
| 1.37 | 1.76124 | 5.379300e-05 |
| 1.38 | 1.76124 | 5.573660e-05 |
| 1.39 | 1.76124 | 5.530090e-05 |
| 1.4 | 1.76124 | 5.486530e-05 |
| 1.41 | 1.76124 | 5.576740e-05 |
| 1.42 | 1.76124 | 5.704840e-05 |
| 1.43 | 1.76124 | 5.745200e-05 |
| 1.44 | 1.76124 | 5.698960e-05 |
| 1.45 | 1.76124 | 5.672600e-05 |
| 1.46 | 1.76124 | 5.713630e-05 |
| 1.47 | 1.76124 | 5.754650e-05 |
| 1.48 | 1.76124 | 5.795740e-05 |
| 1.49 | 1.76124 | 5.836830e-05 |
| 1.5 | 1.76124 | 5.815240e-05 |
| 1.51 | 1.76124 | 5.763620e-05 |
| 1.52 | 1.76124 | 5.786290e-05 |
| 1.53 | 1.76124 | 5.920250e-05 |
| 1.54 | 1.76124 | 6.036750e-05 |
| 1.55 | 1.76124 | 6.030240e-05 |
| 1.56 | 1.76124 | 6.023720e-05 |
| 1.57 | 1.76122 | 6.139480e-05 |
| 1.58 | 1.76101 | 6.277040e-05 |
| 1.59 | 1.76011 | 6.359930e-05 |
Optical transmission calculator
Free-standing sample in vacuum, normal incidence- Transmittance T
- —
- Reflectance R
- —
Fresnel reflection calculator
- Rp
- —
- Rs
- —
- R = (Rp+Rs)/2
- —
- Phase φp
- —
- Phase φs
- —
- Brewster angle θB
- —
- Critical angle θC
- —
Kapton HN from DuPont Electronic Technologies