Optical constants of SiO2 (Silicon dioxide, Silica, Quartz)
Gao et al. 2013: n,k 0.252–1.25 µm
Complex refractive index (n+ik)
Derived optical constants
Comments
300-nm monolayer deposited on fused silica using the ion assistance electronic beam deposition technique.
References
L. Gao, F. Lemarchand, M. Lequime. Refractive index determination of SiO2 layer in the UV/Vis/NIR range: spectrophotometric reverse engineering on single and bi-layer designs. J. Europ. Opt. Soc. Rap. Public. 8, 13010 (2013) (Numerical data kindly provided by F. Lemarchand)
Data
Additional information
About Silicon dioxide
Silicon dioxide (SiO2), commonly known as silica, is found naturally in several crystalline forms, the most notable being quartz. Additionally, when silicon dioxide is manufactured without the crystalline structure, it forms what is known as fused silica. Fused silica is a non-crystalline (or amorphous) form of silicon dioxide and is produced by melting high purity silica at extremely high temperatures. It has superior optical clarity, especially in the ultraviolet (UV) range, and is resistant to thermal shock, making it valuable for many high-end optical applications, including lenses and windows in spacecraft and satellites. SiO2 is extensively used in electronics as an insulator and serves as a primary ingredient in the production of glass. It's also used in thin-film optics, often as antireflection coatings on optical devices. Beyond its optical applications, silicon dioxide finds use in ceramics, construction, and even as a food additive. Polymorphs:
- Alpha quartz (α-quartz, most common)
- Beta quartz (β-quartz, only stable at temperatures above 573 °C)
- Tridymite
- Cristobalite
- Coesite
- Stishovite
- Lechatelierite
- Chalcedony
- SiO2
- Quartz
- Silica
- Silicon oxide
- Silicon(IV) dioxide