Optical constants

Refractive index of Si (Silicon)

Li 1980: n 1.2–14 µm; 293 K

Data
tabulated n
Range
1.2–14 µm
Points
35
State
crystalline
Licence
CC0-1.0

Plot

Click the plot to set the calculator wavelength.

At one wavelength

Range 1.2–14 µm
Refractive index n
3.42256
Extinction coefficient k
0
Permittivity ε1
11.7139
Permittivity ε2
0
Absorption coefficient α
0 cm⁻¹
Penetration depth δ = λ/(2πk)
— nm
Abbe number Vd
—
Chromatic dispersion dn/dλ
-0.0034 µm⁻¹
Group index ng
3.4365
Group velocity dispersion
— fs²/mm
Dispersion parameter D
— ps/(nm·km)
Photon energy
0.3024 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

# Si (Silicon): Li 1980: n 1.2–14 µm; 293 K
si = ls.fetch_refractiveindex("main", "Si", "Li-293K", ref="c5c2f188e848453def5970e347399d653df2ffc2")
print(si.range_nm)  # (1200, 14000) nm
eps = si.eps([4100])  # 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

293 K (20 °C)

References

H. H. Li. Refractive index of silicon and germanium and its wavelength and temperature derivatives. J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 9, 561-658 (1993)
  • doi:10.1063/1.555624 Refractive index of silicon and germanium and its wavelength and temperature derivatives, Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data (1980)

Cite

H. H. Li. Refractive index of silicon and germanium and its wavelength and temperature derivatives. Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, 9, 561-658 (1980), doi:10.1063/1.555624; Data from the refractiveindex.info database (M. N. Polyanskiy, Sci. Data 11, 94 (2024), doi:10.1038/s41597-023-02898-2)

Data

35 rows as published
Si (Silicon), Li 1980: n 1.2–14 µm; 293 K: n and k versus wavelength
λ (µm)n
1.23.5167
1.223.5133
1.243.5102
1.263.5072
1.283.5043
1.33.5016
1.323.499
1.343.4965
1.363.4941
1.383.4918
1.43.4896
1.453.4845
1.53.4799
1.553.4757
1.63.4719
1.653.4684
1.73.4653
1.83.4597
1.93.455
2.03.451
2.253.4431
2.53.4375
2.753.4334
3.03.4302
4.03.4229
5.03.4195
6.03.4177
7.03.4165
8.03.4158
9.03.4153
10.03.415
11.03.4147
12.03.4145
13.03.4144
14.03.4142

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
—