# Refractive indices of materials

| 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 |  |

Source: https://aidb.si/d/refractive-indices — Table from the Wikipedia article “List of refractive indices” (CC BY-SA 4.0).