Multi-angle spectrophotometric reflection methods for refractive index determination

Features of development and application of methods for performing refractive index measurements based on multi-angle spectrophotometric reflection methods are considered. The influence of the shape, size, and surface treatment of samples on their spectral reflection dependences is described. It is shown that it is possible to determine the refractive coefficients using two spectrophotometric methods: the reflection spectrum from one face at a small angle of incidence of light close to normal, and the reflection method at the incidence of light at the Brewster angle. The method of reflection at an angle of incidence close to normal can be used in the case of a non–absorbing sample characterized by an extinction coefficient not exceeding (10 -6 —10 -4 ). This method is an «express method», because it allows you to immediately obtain the dispersion dependence of the refractive index. The method allows us to measure the dispersion dependences of refractive coefficients for samples whose shape excludes multiple reflections — plates with one polished side; plates of large thickness, polished on two sides; prisms or plates with non-parallel faces. When measuring using the Brewster method, there are no requirements for the value of the extinction coefficient of the sample (absorption), you can use a sample of any shape, including polished plates on both sides. However, the resulting values of refractive indices are discrete, and a large array of measurement results must be accumulated. The measurement accuracy of both methods was determined, which is Δ = ±0,001 with a confidence probability P = 0,95. The applicability of spectrophotometric measurement methods is shown for samples of gadolinium-aluminum-gallium garnet, which is related to cubic crystals, characterized by the presence of a single refractive index. It is shown that the values of the refractive indices obtained by these two methods are well correlated within the accuracy of measurements.