Optical constants

Refractive index of (C₈H₈)_n (Polystyrene, PS)

Sultanova et al. 2009: n 0.437–1.05 µm

Data: formula 2
Range: 0.4368–1.052 µm
Temperature: 293 K
Licence: CC0-1.0

Axis Log x Log y

Click the plot to set the calculator wavelength.

At one wavelength

Refractive index n: 1.59163
Extinction coefficient k: 0

Permittivity ε₁: 2.53327
Permittivity ε₂: 0

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

Abbe number V_d: 29.531
Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ: -0.10196 µm⁻¹

Group index n_g: 1.65154
Group velocity dispersion: 200.185 fs²/mm

Dispersion parameter D: -1092.11 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

# (C8H8)n (Polystyrene, PS): Sultanova et al. 2009: n 0.437–1.05 µm
polystyrene = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("organic", "polystyrene", "Sultanova", ref="c5c2f188e848453def5970e347399d653df2ffc2")
print(polystyrene.range_nm)  # (436.8, 1052) nm
eps = polystyrene.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_62de37cb1e4e/lightsmith"
polystyrene = ls.Tabulated.model_validate(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(url)))
print(polystyrene.source)  # citation and provenance travel with the data

Any dataset here, as the library's Tabulated material (polystyrene/sultanova-2009).

# ... load polystyrene as above, then:
sim = ls.Simulation(
    particles=[ls.Particle(shape=ls.Sphere(radius_nm=50), material=polystyrene)],
    medium_index=1.0,
    wavelengths=ls.WavelengthRange(start_nm=437, 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"]).

import json, urllib.request
import lightsmith as ls

url = "https://materials.lightsmith.dev/v1/datasets/ds_62de37cb1e4e/lightsmith?model=drude_lorentz"
polystyrene_dl = ls.DrudeLorentz.model_validate(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(url)))

A dispersive Drude–Lorentz model for time-domain solvers.

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

Sellmeier (C in µm²) (formula 2), λ in µm

n^{2} - 1 = \frac{1.4435 λ^{2}}{λ^{2} - 0.020216}

Valid from 0.4368 to 1.052 µm.

Coefficients as stored

C_i	Value
C1	0.0
C2	1.4435
C3	0.020216

Comments and conditions

20 °C

Conditions

temperature: 293 K

References

N. Sultanova, S. Kasarova, I. Nikolov. Dispersion properties of optical polymers. Acta Physica Polonica A 116, 585-587 (2009)
(fit of the experimental data with the Sellmeier dispersion formula: Mikhail Polyanskiy)

Cite

N. Sultanova, S. Kasarova, I. Nikolov. Dispersion properties of optical polymers. Acta Physica Polonica A 116, 585-587 (2009); 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

(C8H8)n (Polystyrene, PS), Sultanova et al. 2009: n 0.437–1.05 µm: n and k versus wavelength
λ (µm)	n
0.4368	1.616965
0.437763	1.616705
0.438729	1.616446
0.439696	1.616189
0.440666	1.615933
0.441638	1.615679
0.442612	1.615425
0.443588	1.615173
0.444566	1.614923
0.445547	1.614674
0.446529	1.614426
0.447514	1.614179
0.448501	1.613934
0.44949	1.613689
0.450481	1.613447
0.451475	1.613205
0.45247	1.612965
0.453468	1.612726
0.454468	1.612488
0.455471	1.612251
0.456475	1.612016
0.457482	1.611782
0.458491	1.611549
0.459502	1.611317
0.460515	1.611087
0.461531	1.610858
0.462549	1.610629
0.463569	1.610402
0.464591	1.610177
0.465616	1.609952
0.466643	1.609729
0.467672	1.609506
0.468703	1.609285
0.469737	1.609065
0.470773	1.608846
0.471811	1.608629
0.472851	1.608412
0.473894	1.608197
0.474939	1.607982
0.475987	1.607769
0.477037	1.607557
0.478089	1.607346
0.479143	1.607135
0.4802	1.606927
0.481259	1.606719
0.48232	1.606512
0.483384	1.606306
0.48445	1.606101
0.485518	1.605898
0.486589	1.605695
0.487662	1.605493
0.488737	1.605293
0.489815	1.605093
0.490895	1.604895
0.491978	1.604697
0.493063	1.6045
0.49415	1.604305
0.49524	1.60411
0.496332	1.603917
0.497427	1.603724
0.498524	1.603532
0.499623	1.603342
0.500725	1.603152
0.50183	1.602963
0.502936	1.602776
0.504045	1.602589
0.505157	1.602403
0.506271	1.602218
0.507388	1.602034
0.508507	1.601851
0.509628	1.601669
0.510752	1.601487
0.511878	1.601307
0.513007	1.601127
0.514139	1.600949
0.515273	1.600771
0.516409	1.600595
0.517548	1.600419
0.518689	1.600244
0.519833	1.600069
0.520979	1.599896
0.522128	1.599724
0.52328	1.599552
0.524434	1.599382
0.52559	1.599212
0.52675	1.599043
0.527911	1.598875
0.529076	1.598707
0.530242	1.598541
0.531412	1.598375
0.532584	1.59821
0.533758	1.598046
0.534935	1.597883
0.536115	1.597721
0.537297	1.597559
0.538482	1.597399
0.53967	1.597239
0.54086	1.597079
0.542053	1.596921
0.543248	1.596763
0.544446	1.596607
0.545647	1.59645
0.54685	1.596295
0.548056	1.596141
0.549265	1.595987
0.550476	1.595834
0.55169	1.595682
0.552907	1.59553
0.554126	1.595379
0.555349	1.595229
0.556573	1.59508
0.557801	1.594932
0.559031	1.594784
0.560264	1.594637
0.561499	1.59449
0.562738	1.594345
0.563979	1.5942
0.565222	1.594056
0.566469	1.593912
0.567718	1.593769
0.56897	1.593627
0.570225	1.593486
0.571483	1.593345
0.572743	1.593205
0.574006	1.593066
0.575272	1.592927
0.576541	1.592789
0.577812	1.592652
0.579086	1.592515
0.580364	1.592379
0.581643	1.592244
0.582926	1.592109
0.584212	1.591975
0.5855	1.591842
0.586791	1.591709
0.588085	1.591577
0.589382	1.591445
0.590682	1.591315
0.591985	1.591184
0.59329	1.591055
0.594599	1.590926
0.59591	1.590798
0.597224	1.59067
0.598541	1.590543
0.599861	1.590417
0.601184	1.590291
0.60251	1.590166
0.603839	1.590041
0.605171	1.589917
0.606505	1.589794
0.607843	1.589671
0.609183	1.589549
0.610527	1.589427
0.611873	1.589306
0.613223	1.589186
0.614575	1.589066
0.61593	1.588947
0.617289	1.588828
0.61865	1.58871
0.620014	1.588592
0.621382	1.588475
0.622752	1.588359
0.624126	1.588243
0.625502	1.588128
0.626882	1.588013
0.628264	1.587899
0.62965	1.587785
0.631038	1.587672
0.63243	1.587559
0.633825	1.587447
0.635222	1.587336
0.636623	1.587225
0.638027	1.587114
0.639434	1.587004
0.640845	1.586895
0.642258	1.586786
0.643674	1.586678
0.645094	1.58657
0.646516	1.586463
0.647942	1.586356
0.649371	1.58625
0.650803	1.586144
0.652239	1.586039
0.653677	1.585934
0.655119	1.58583
0.656563	1.585726
0.658011	1.585622
0.659463	1.58552
0.660917	1.585417
0.662374	1.585316
0.663835	1.585214
0.665299	1.585113
0.666766	1.585013
0.668237	1.584913
0.669711	1.584814
0.671188	1.584715
0.672668	1.584616
0.674151	1.584518
0.675638	1.584421
0.677128	1.584324
0.678621	1.584227
0.680118	1.584131
0.681618	1.584035
0.683121	1.58394
0.684628	1.583845
0.686138	1.583751
0.687651	1.583657
0.689167	1.583563
0.690687	1.58347
0.69221	1.583378
0.693737	1.583286
0.695267	1.583194
0.6968	1.583103
0.698337	1.583012
0.699877	1.582921
0.70142	1.582831
0.702967	1.582742
0.704518	1.582653
0.706071	1.582564
0.707628	1.582476
0.709189	1.582388
0.710753	1.5823
0.712321	1.582213
0.713892	1.582127
0.715466	1.58204
0.717044	1.581955
0.718625	1.581869
0.72021	1.581784
0.721798	1.581699
0.72339	1.581615
0.724985	1.581531
0.726584	1.581448
0.728187	1.581365
0.729793	1.581282
0.731402	1.5812
0.733015	1.581118
0.734632	1.581036
0.736252	1.580955
0.737875	1.580875
0.739503	1.580794
0.741134	1.580714
0.742768	1.580635
0.744406	1.580555
0.746048	1.580476
0.747693	1.580398
0.749342	1.58032
0.750995	1.580242
0.752651	1.580165
0.754311	1.580088
0.755974	1.580011
0.757642	1.579935
0.759312	1.579859
0.760987	1.579783
0.762665	1.579708
0.764347	1.579633
0.766033	1.579558
0.767722	1.579484
0.769415	1.57941
0.771112	1.579337
0.772813	1.579263
0.774517	1.579191
0.776225	1.579118
0.777937	1.579046
0.779653	1.578974
0.781372	1.578903
0.783095	1.578831
0.784822	1.578761
0.786553	1.57869
0.788288	1.57862
0.790026	1.57855
0.791769	1.57848
0.793515	1.578411
0.795265	1.578342
0.797019	1.578274
0.798776	1.578206
0.800538	1.578138
0.802303	1.57807
0.804073	1.578003
0.805846	1.577936
0.807623	1.577869
0.809404	1.577803
0.811189	1.577737
0.812978	1.577671
0.814771	1.577605
0.816568	1.57754
0.818369	1.577475
0.820174	1.577411
0.821983	1.577347
0.823795	1.577283
0.825612	1.577219
0.827433	1.577156
0.829258	1.577093
0.831086	1.57703
0.832919	1.576967
0.834756	1.576905
0.836597	1.576843
0.838442	1.576782
0.840291	1.57672
0.842144	1.576659
0.844002	1.576598
0.845863	1.576538
0.847728	1.576478
0.849598	1.576418
0.851472	1.576358
0.853349	1.576299
0.855231	1.57624
0.857117	1.576181
0.859008	1.576122
0.860902	1.576064
0.862801	1.576006
0.864704	1.575948
0.866611	1.575891
0.868522	1.575833
0.870437	1.575776
0.872357	1.57572
0.874281	1.575663
0.876209	1.575607
0.878141	1.575551
0.880078	1.575496
0.882019	1.57544
0.883964	1.575385
0.885913	1.57533
0.887867	1.575275
0.889825	1.575221
0.891788	1.575167
0.893754	1.575113
0.895725	1.575059
0.897701	1.575006
0.89968	1.574953
0.901665	1.5749
0.903653	1.574847
0.905646	1.574795
0.907643	1.574742
0.909645	1.574691
0.911651	1.574639
0.913662	1.574587
0.915677	1.574536
0.917696	1.574485
0.91972	1.574434
0.921748	1.574384
0.923781	1.574333
0.925818	1.574283
0.92786	1.574233
0.929906	1.574184
0.931957	1.574134
0.934012	1.574085
0.936072	1.574036
0.938137	1.573988
0.940205	1.573939
0.942279	1.573891
0.944357	1.573843
0.94644	1.573795
0.948527	1.573747
0.950619	1.5737
0.952715	1.573653
0.954816	1.573606
0.956922	1.573559
0.959032	1.573512
0.961147	1.573466
0.963267	1.57342
0.965392	1.573374
0.967521	1.573328
0.969654	1.573283
0.971793	1.573238
0.973936	1.573192
0.976084	1.573148
0.978236	1.573103
0.980394	1.573058
0.982556	1.573014
0.984723	1.57297
0.986894	1.572926
0.989071	1.572883
0.991252	1.572839
0.993438	1.572796
0.995629	1.572753
0.997825	1.57271
1.00003	1.572667
1.00223	1.572625
1.00444	1.572583
1.00666	1.57254
1.00888	1.572499
1.0111	1.572457
1.01333	1.572415
1.01557	1.572374
1.01781	1.572333
1.02005	1.572292
1.0223	1.572251
1.02455	1.57221
1.02681	1.57217
1.02908	1.57213
1.03135	1.57209
1.03362	1.57205
1.0359	1.57201
1.03819	1.571971
1.04048	1.571931
1.04277	1.571892
1.04507	1.571853
1.04738	1.571815
1.04969	1.571776
1.052	1.571738

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: —

(C₈H₈)_n (Polystyrene, PS): all datasets

About (C8H8)n (Polystyrene, PS)

Styrene (C₈H₈) is a colorless to yellowish organic compound that exists as a liquid with a distinctive sweet smell, though its odor can be sharp and unpleasant in higher concentrations. It is an essential monomer used in the production of polystyrene, a versatile plastic. Styrene polymerizes readily; this property has led to its widespread use in producing a variety of polymer materials. Styrene can be found in various consumer products, such as food containers and packaging materials. In addition to its role in plastics, styrene's refractive properties are of interest in the optical domain. Prolonged exposure to its vapors should be avoided as it is considered a potential human carcinogen and can affect the central nervous system. Chemical formula: C₆H₅CH=CH₂

More about (C8H8)n (Polystyrene, PS) →

Listed in

Provenance

Version: 1 (snapshot c5c2f18)
Source page: refractiveindex.info
Original file: database/data/organic/(C8H8)n - polystyrene/nk/Sultanova.yml
ID: ds_62de37cb1e4e
API: /v1/datasets/ds_62de37cb1e4e

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