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

Range 0.19–1.59 µm
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.

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

Kapton HN from DuPont Electronic Technologies

Notes on the source data (kept exactly as published):
  • k data cover 480-2490 nm only; k = 0 elsewhere in the n range 190-1590 nm

References

R. H. French, J. M. Rodríguez-Parada, M. K. Yang, R. A. Derryberry, M. F. Lemon, M. J. Brown, C. R. Haeger, S. L. Samuels, E. C. Romano, R. E. Richardson. Optical properties of materials for concentrator photovoltaic systems. 2009 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), 2009, pp. 000394-000399
  • 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
Kapton, French et al. 2009: n 0.19–1.59 µm, k 0.48–2.49 µm: n and k versus wavelength
λ (µm)nk
0.191.343120
0.21.465820
0.211.612030
0.221.799190
0.231.925160
0.242.006830
0.252.120610
0.262.07670
0.272.003530
0.282.017650
0.292.096240
0.32.194520
0.312.19570
0.322.145460
0.332.114430
0.342.086950
0.352.058320
0.362.030940
0.371.999440
0.381.977660
0.391.959420
0.41.94560
0.411.932480
0.421.920050
0.431.910070
0.441.900210
0.451.890710
0.461.882680
0.471.874350
0.481.86620.000893805
0.491.859040.000827273
0.51.852910.000693991
0.511.847270.000515311
0.521.842060.000430733
0.531.836850.00034601
0.541.832560.000258291
0.551.829520.000213847
0.561.826070.000179144
0.571.822930.00014961
0.581.820130.000135945
0.591.817750.00012419
0.61.814970.000113835
0.611.812160.000104696
0.621.810649.723980e-05
0.631.808079.003770e-05
0.641.805298.431090e-05
0.651.803347.858420e-05
0.661.801227.458530e-05
0.671.79947.083680e-05
0.681.798326.727210e-05
0.691.796486.383030e-05
0.71.79476.065180e-05
0.711.793195.802000e-05
0.721.792085.543410e-05
0.731.790455.371660e-05
0.741.788375.199900e-05
0.751.787935.052620e-05
0.761.787374.912440e-05
0.771.786544.729850e-05
0.781.784594.504850e-05
0.791.783974.304000e-05
0.81.783684.186410e-05
0.811.782374.068810e-05
0.821.781074.111510e-05
0.831.780184.162720e-05
0.841.780184.161030e-05
0.851.779254.133720e-05
0.861.777994.083360e-05
0.871.776473.998140e-05
0.881.776393.918850e-05
0.891.776393.881910e-05
0.91.776313.844970e-05
0.911.773923.852460e-05
0.921.77283.867960e-05
0.931.772613.899260e-05
0.941.772613.942410e-05
0.951.772613.985580e-05
0.961.772614.028790e-05
0.971.772614.071400e-05
0.981.770794.084300e-05
0.991.769074.097200e-05
11.768854.062890e-05
1.011.7694.012320e-05
1.021.769053.974690e-05
1.031.768833.951770e-05
1.041.769023.953320e-05
1.051.769244.057500e-05
1.061.769374.161680e-05
1.071.766334.238080e-05
1.081.765034.311950e-05
1.091.765034.365060e-05
1.11.765034.406540e-05
1.111.765034.485850e-05
1.121.765034.631010e-05
1.131.765034.751500e-05
1.141.765034.618940e-05
1.151.765034.486390e-05
1.161.765034.465160e-05
1.171.765034.469480e-05
1.181.764284.473090e-05
1.191.762334.476070e-05
1.21.761594.468930e-05
1.211.761244.433250e-05
1.221.761244.397570e-05
1.231.761244.434210e-05
1.241.761244.471860e-05
1.251.761244.537060e-05
1.261.761244.613500e-05
1.271.761244.656310e-05
1.281.761244.655350e-05
1.291.761244.660550e-05
1.31.761244.698380e-05
1.311.761244.736210e-05
1.321.761244.665990e-05
1.331.761244.581430e-05
1.341.761244.696010e-05
1.351.761244.939380e-05
1.361.761245.171100e-05
1.371.761245.379300e-05
1.381.761245.573660e-05
1.391.761245.530090e-05
1.41.761245.486530e-05
1.411.761245.576740e-05
1.421.761245.704840e-05
1.431.761245.745200e-05
1.441.761245.698960e-05
1.451.761245.672600e-05
1.461.761245.713630e-05
1.471.761245.754650e-05
1.481.761245.795740e-05
1.491.761245.836830e-05
1.51.761245.815240e-05
1.511.761245.763620e-05
1.521.761245.786290e-05
1.531.761245.920250e-05
1.541.761246.036750e-05
1.551.761246.030240e-05
1.561.761246.023720e-05
1.571.761226.139480e-05
1.581.761016.277040e-05
1.591.760116.359930e-05

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
—