Typical values of the index of refraction and internal transmittance (fraction of light transmitted through a one centimeter thickness) are tabulated here for selected types of glasses, as well as for synthetic fused (vitreous) silica. Nominal compositions are given in Table 1. Table 2 contans the index of refraction, relative to air, and the internal transmittance for representative samples of each glass at wavelengths in the infrared, visible, and near-ultraviolet regions. It should be emphasized that a wide variation of these parameters may be found among subtypes of each glass. More detailed data may be found in Ref. 3.
Assuming that the Lambert-Beer Law is followed, the transmittance of a glass plate of thickness d (in centimeters) can be obtained by raising the transmittance value in the table to the power d.
Type | Name | SiO2/mass % | B2O3/mass % | Al2O3/mass % | Na2O/mass % | K2O/mass % | CaO/mass % | BaO/mass % | ZnO/mass % | PbO/mass % | P2O5/mass % |
PK | Phosphate crown | 3 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 70 | |||||
PSK | Dense phosphate crown | 3 | 5 | 4 | 28 | 60 | |||||
BK | Borosilicate crown | 70 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 3 | ||||
K | Crown | 74 | 9 | 11 | 6 | ||||||
ZK | Zinc crown | 71 | 17 | 12 | |||||||
BaK | Barium crown | 60 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 5 | ||||
SK | Dense crown | 39 | 15 | 5 | 41 | ||||||
KF | Crown flint | 67 | 2 | 16 | 3 | 12 | |||||
BaLF | Barium light flint | 51 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 14 | 4 | ||||
SSK | Extra dense crown | 35 | 10 | 5 | 42 | 8 | |||||
LLF | Extra light flint | 63 | 5 | 8 | 24 | ||||||
BaF | Barium flint | 46 | 8 | 16 | 8 | 22 | |||||
LF | Light flint | 53 | 5 | 8 | 34 | ||||||
F | Flint | 47 | 2 | 7 | 44 | ||||||
BaSF | Dense barium flint | 43 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 33 | ||||
SF | Dense flint | 33 | 5 | 62 | |||||||
KzFS | Short flint | ||||||||||
SiO2 | Fused silica | 100 |
Type | Refractive index at 1.060 µm | Refractive index at 546.1 nm | Refractive index at 365.0 nm | Refractive index at 312.6 nm | Transmittance at 1.060 µm | Transmittance at 546.1 nm | Transmittance at 365.0 nm | Transmittance at 310 nm |
PK | 1.51519 | 1.52736 | 1.54503 | 1.5574 | 0.997 | 0.998 | 0.987 | 0.46 |
PSK | 1.54154 | 1.55440 | 1.57342 | 1.5868 | 0.996 | 0.998 | 0.984 | 0.46 |
BK | 1.50669 | 1.51872 | 1.53627 | 1.5486 | 0.999 | 0.998 | 0.987 | 0.35 |
K | 1.50091 | 1.51314 | 1.53189 | 1.5454 | 0.998 | 0.998 | 0.988 | 0.40 |
ZK | 1.52220 | 1.53534 | 1.55588 | 1.5708 | 0.996 | 0.998 | 0.976 | 0.27 |
BaK | 1.55695 | 1.57124 | 1.59407 | 1.6108 | 0.998 | 0.997 | 0.986 | 0.28 |
SK | 1.59490 | 1.60994 | 1.63398 | 0.998 | 0.998 | 0.959 | 0.28 | |
KF | 1.50586 | 1.51978 | 1.54251 | 1.5600 | 0.998 | 0.996 | 0.989 | 0.49 |
BaLF | 1.57579 | 1.59166 | 1.61804 | 0.996 | 0.998 | 0.933 | 0.010 | |
SSK | 1.60402 | 1.61993 | 1.64595 | 0.999 | 0.998 | 0.915 | 0.010 | |
LaK | 1.69710 | 1.71616 | 1.74573 | 0.999 | 0.998 | 0.882 | 0.17 | |
LLF | 1.52775 | 1.54344 | 1.57038 | 0.998 | 0.997 | 0.990 | 0.32 | |
BaF | 1.56873 | 1.58565 | 1.61524 | 0.999 | 0.997 | 0.992 | 0.004 | |
LF | 1.56594 | 1.58482 | 1.61926 | 0.999 | 0.998 | 0.981 | 0.008 | |
F | 1.58636 | 1.60718 | 1.64606 | 0.997 | 0.998 | 0.959 | ||
BaSF | 1.60889 | 1.62987 | 1.66926 | 0.999 | 0.998 | 0.857 | ||
SF | 1.71350 | 1.74620 | 1.8145 | 0.998 | 0.997 | 0.650 | ||
KzFS | 1.59680 | 1.61639 | 1.64849 | 1.6739 | 0.998 | 0.672 | 0.012 | |
SiO2 | 1.44968 | 1.46008 | 1.47435a | 1.53430b |
|