Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3.1
Refractive index of selected inorganic materials with extreme
refractive indices at different wavelengths
Refractive index
413.3 nm
619.9 nm
826.6 nm
Os
4.05
3.98
2.84
W
3.35
3.60
3.48
Si crystalline
5.22
3.91
3.67
Si amorphous
4.38
4.23
3.86
Ge
4.08
5.59-5.64
4.65
GaP
4.08
3.33
3.18
GAs
4.51
3.88
3.67
InP
4.40
3.55
3.46
InAs
3.20
4.00
3.71
InSb
3.37
4.19
4.42
4.50
a
PbS
3.88
4.29
PbSe
1.25-3.00
3.65-3.90
4.64
PbTe
1.0-1.8
6.4
3.8
Ag
0.173
0.131
0.145
Au
1.64
0.194
0.188
Cu
1.18
0.272
0.260
a
At 885.6 nm
3.3
Infrared transparent ceramic dome.
windows (see Fig. 3.3) that are mechanically robust, which can be used as
protection for optical detectors and sensors in military applications. As a
consequence, related materials (nanocomposites) have found particular
interest in optical studies. Polymer inorganic nanocomposites with extreme
refractive indices and anisotropic optical behavior have also been prepared.
The optical properties of nanocomposites have attracted attention in many
fields, for example in the areas of photoconductivity, non-linear optics and
transparent magnetic materials. Further, nanocomposites can act as
transparent ultraviolet (UV) absorbing layers or they may exhibit extreme
refractive indices or dichroic effects in polarized light.
