Source: https://aidb.si/d/refractive-indices — Table from the Wikipedia article “List of refractive indices” (CC BY-SA 4.0).
| Material | Group | Wavelength (nm) | Refractive index | n (low) | n (high) | As listed | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacuum | General | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 (by definition) | ||
| Helium | Gases at 0 °C and 1 atm | 589.29 | 1.000036 | 1.000036 | 1.000036 | 1.000036 | |
| Hydrogen | Gases at 0 °C and 1 atm | 589.29 | 1.000132 | 1.000132 | 1.000132 | 1.000132 | |
| Air at STP | General | 1.000273 | 1.000273 | 1.000273 | 1.000273 | ||
| Air | Gases at 0 °C and 1 atm | 589.29 | 1.000293 | 1.000293 | 1.000293 | 1.000293 | |
| Carbon dioxide | Gases at 0 °C and 1 atm | 589.29 | 1.00045 | 1.00045 | 1.00045 | 1.00045 | |
| Liquid helium | Other materials | 1.025 | 1.025 | 1.025 | 1.025 | ||
| Perfluorohexane (Fluorinert FC-72) | Other materials | 1.251 | 1.251 | 1.251 | 1.251 | ||
| Water ice | Other materials | 1.31 | 1.31 | 1.31 | 1.31 | ||
| TFE/PDD (Teflon AF) | Other materials | 1.315 | 1.315 | 1.315 | 1.315 | ||
| Water | Liquids at 20 °C | 589.29 | 1.333 | 1.333 | 1.333 | 1.333 | |
| Intestinal mucosa (human) | Other materials | 964 | 1.3335 | 1.329 | 1.338 | 1.329–1.338 | |
| Cryolite | Other materials | 1.338 | 1.338 | 1.338 | 1.338 | ||
| Cytop | Other materials | 1.34 | 1.34 | 1.34 | 1.34 | ||
| 10% glucose solution in water | Liquids at 20 °C | 589.29 | 1.3477 | 1.3477 | 1.3477 | 1.3477 | |
| Acetone | Liquids at 20 °C | 1.36 | 1.36 | 1.36 | 1.36 | ||
| Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) | Liquids at 20 °C | 590.29 | 1.361 | 1.361 | 1.361 | 1.361 | |
| 20% glucose solution in water | Liquids at 20 °C | 589.29 | 1.3635 | 1.3635 | 1.3635 | 1.3635 | |
| Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) | Other materials | 1.365 | 1.35 | 1.38 | 1.35–1.38 | ||
| Liver (human) | Other materials | 964 | 1.369 | 1.369 | 1.369 | 1.369 | |
| Sugar solution, 25% | Other materials | 1.3723 | 1.3723 | 1.3723 | 1.3723 | ||
| Cornea (human) | Other materials | 1.387 | 1.373 | 1.401 | 1.373/1.380/1.401 | ||
| Lens (human) | Other materials | 1.396 | 1.386 | 1.406 | 1.386–1.406 | ||
| Silicone oil (nD25) | Liquids at 20 °C | 589.29 | 1.398 | 1.393 | 1.403 | 1.393–1.403 | |
| Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) | Other materials | 1.403 | 1.403 | 1.403 | 1.403 | ||
| Sylgard 184 (polydimethylsiloxane) | Other materials | 1.4118 | 1.4118 | 1.4118 | 1.4118 | ||
| Sugar solution, 50% | Other materials | 1.42 | 1.42 | 1.42 | 1.4200 | ||
| 60% glucose solution in water | Liquids at 20 °C | 589.29 | 1.4394 | 1.4394 | 1.4394 | 1.4394 | |
| Kerosene | Liquids at 20 °C | 1.44 | 1.44 | 1.44 | 1.44 | ||
| Fused silica (a pure form of glass, also called fused quartz) | Solids at room temperature | 589.29 | 1.458 | 1.458 | 1.458 | 1.458 | |
| Polylactic acid | Other materials | 1.46 | 1.46 | 1.46 | 1.46 | ||
| Carbon tetrachloride | Liquids at 20 °C | 589.29 | 1.461 | 1.461 | 1.461 | 1.461 | |
| Pyrex (a borosilicate glass) | Other materials | 1.47 | 1.47 | 1.47 | 1.470 | ||
| Vegetable oil | Other materials | 1.47 | 1.47 | 1.47 | 1.47 | ||
| Glycerol | Other materials | 1.4729 | 1.4729 | 1.4729 | 1.4729 | ||
| Sugar solution, 75% | Other materials | 1.4774 | 1.4774 | 1.4774 | 1.4774 | ||
| Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) | Other materials | 1.4896 | 1.4893 | 1.4899 | 1.4893–1.4899 | ||
| Benzene | Liquids at 20 °C | 589.29 | 1.501 | 1.501 | 1.501 | 1.501 | |
| Halite (rock salt) | Other materials | 1.516 | 1.516 | 1.516 | 1.516 | ||
| Plate glass (window glass) | Other materials | 1.52 | 1.52 | 1.52 | 1.52 | ||
| Crown glass (pure) | Other materials | 1.52 | 1.5 | 1.54 | 1.50–1.54 | ||
| Sodium chloride | Solids at room temperature | 589.29 | 1.544 | 1.544 | 1.544 | 1.544 | |
| Amber | Solids at room temperature | 589.29 | 1.55 | 1.55 | 1.55 | 1.55 | |
| PETg | Other materials | 1.57 | 1.57 | 1.57 | 1.57 | ||
| Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) | Other materials | 1.575 | 1.575 | 1.575 | 1.5750 | ||
| Polycarbonate | Other materials | 150 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.60 | |
| Flint glass (pure) | Other materials | 1.61 | 1.6 | 1.62 | 1.60–1.62 | ||
| Crown glass (impure) | Other materials | 1.62 | 1.485 | 1.755 | 1.485–1.755 | ||
| Carbon disulfide | Liquids at 20 °C | 589.29 | 1.628 | 1.628 | 1.628 | 1.628 | |
| Bromine | Other materials | 1.661 | 1.661 | 1.661 | 1.661 | ||
| Flint glass (impure) | Other materials | 1.724 | 1.523 | 1.925 | 1.523–1.925 | ||
| Sapphire | Other materials | 1.77 | 1.762 | 1.778 | 1.762–1.778 | ||
| Arsenic trisulfide and sulfur in methylene iodide | Liquids at 20 °C | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | ||
| Boron nitride | Other materials | 2.07 | 2 | 2.14 | 2–2.14 | ||
| Tantalum pentoxide | Solids at room temperature | 589.29 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.15 | |
| Cubic zirconia | Other materials | 2.165 | 2.15 | 2.18 | 2.15–2.18 | ||
| Potassium niobate (KNbO3) | Other materials | 2.28 | 2.28 | 2.28 | 2.28 | ||
| Zinc oxide | Other materials | 390 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | |
| Strontium titanate | Solids at room temperature | 589.29 | 2.41 | 2.41 | 2.41 | 2.41 | |
| Diamond | Solids at room temperature | 589.29 | 2.417 | 2.417 | 2.417 | 2.417 | |
| Titanium dioxide (rutile phase) | Solids at room temperature | 589.29 | 2.614 | 2.614 | 2.614 | 2.614 | |
| Silicon carbide (moissanite; 6H form) | Solids at room temperature | 589.29 | 2.65 | 2.65 | 2.65 | 2.65 | |
| Cinnabar (mercury sulfide) | Other materials | 3.02 | 3.02 | 3.02 | 3.02 | Birefringent: nω = 2.905 nε = 3.256 | |
| Silicon | Other materials | 1200–8500 | 3.45 | 3.42 | 3.48 | 3.42–3.48 | |
| Gallium(III) phosphide | Other materials | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | ||
| Gallium(III) arsenide | Other materials | 3.927 | 3.927 | 3.927 | 3.927 | ||
| Germanium | Other materials | 3000–16000 | 4.075 | 4.05 | 4.1 | 4.05–4.1 |