Optical properties of materials

Optical range:- 400nm to 700nm

It is the response of the material to the incident electromagnetic radiation in the visible range (400 nm to 700 nm). Then electrons in the atoms of the material interacts with the radiation Which give rise to: Scattering, Reflection, Refraction, Transmission & Absorption

Scattering:
Electrons in the material oscillates under the electric component , when electromagnetic radiation is incident on them. Frequency of the oscillation is same as that of the em radiation. Oscillating charged particle start emitting giving rise to scattering, which makes the object visible. Colour of sky: If the size of the scattering particle is small , then the scattering intensity = 1/ 4 of the incident radiation. (Raleighs scattering) During day time blue end ( least wavelength) of suns light scatter more, so sky appears blue. During sunrise and sunset due to long distance from sun entire blue end gets scattered and the red end is visible. Other particle size dependant scattering phenomena are;Raman scattering, Tyndal scattering etc.

Reflection, Refraction, Transmission and Absorption

Light Reflected beam Medium2 Refracted beam Absorption When light, originating in one medium, is incident on another medium and passes through it; 1. A part is reflected. 2. A part is transmitted. 3. A part is absorbed in the medium as energy loss. I0 = Intensity of incident light IR = Intensity of reflected light IA = Intensity of absorbed light IT = Intensity of transmitted light Medium1

Transmitted beam

IR + IA + IT = I0

T + A + R = 1, where , T = transmittivity =
A = absorptivity = R = reflectivity =

IT/I0 IA/I0 IR/I0

Reflection, Transmission and Absorption

Transparent Material: T=1 Low absorption Low reflection Translucent Materials: T 1 or 0 Low reflection High scattering of the refracted light inside the medium Objects not clearly visible Opaque materials: T=0 All electromagnetic radiation including light is reflected or absorbed. metals are completely opaque, but are good reflectors Insulators & Semiconductors can be transparent or opaque

Reflection:
R

When light passes from one medium (with refractive index, n1) to another medium with refractive index, n2), a part of the light gets reflected. If the light is normal to surface,

n1

n2
2

Re flectivity, R

n2 n1 n2 n1

cos
For others cases, R =

cos

n1 cos n2 n1 cos n2

Refraction:
The incident radiation which passes into the other medium moves with different speed, which depends on the no. of electrons that are encountered per length (optical density) and their polarisability ( the oscillating EF of radiation generates electronic polarisation in the material) Refractive index = c / v mat 21 = 2 / 1 = v1 / v2 , which is > 1 if medium 2 is optically denser than medium 1 and < 1 if medium 1 is denser.
n C V
r 0 0 r r

where

relative magnetic permeability of the medium

0

relative dielectric cons tan t of the medium

0

Refracted ray inside the medium is partially absorbed and rest are transmitted.

Maxwells Equations
For electromagnetic wave propagation:
light z Ex Hy

.E .B 0 xE xB or xH
0

Gauss' es Law B t
0 0

Gauss' es Law for Magnetism

y

Faraday' s Law of Induction E t E t J 0 P t Ampere' s Circuital Law D t

 Faraday' s Law of Induction : xE Ampere' s Circuital Law : xH

x xE xH
0

E t
E t

B t

P t
P t

H t
light z Ex Hy y

From first equation,

E 0 0 t2 With no static charge, .E ( .E ) 2 E

2

2 0

P t2
1
0 0

0, c 2

&

If E is polarized along x direction

2

Ex z2

1 c2

Ex t2

1 2 c 0

Px t2

Light is an electromagnetic wave. If light is propagating along z-direction, Electric field in the medium is in x-direction and magnetic field vector is in y-direction. In vacuum,
Ex E0 exp i( t kz) E0 exp i t k z E0 exp i t z c

z
Ex Hy y x

In a medium with refractive index n,

Ex

E 0 exp i

nz c

&

Px

P0 exp(i t )

Wave propagation is given by one of the Maxwells equations.

2

Ex z2

1 c2

Ex t2

1 2 0c

Px t2

Substituting values of Ex and Px,

n2 Ex 2 c

Ex

0c

Px

Px 0E x

n2

Refractive index is related to relative dielectric constant of the medium.

Absorption:
If dielectric constant is complex refractive index is given by n And there is absorption n-i

E I

E 0 exp i E0
2

I0 exp

(n i )z E 0 exp c 2 z I0 exp z c

z c

exp i

nz c

So the amplitude of the electromagnetic wave will get attenuated by a factor :- exp(-z) , where = 2 /c.

Plasma Frequency:
If an electromagnetic radiation falls on a metal, the oscillating electric field is E = E0exp(i t). Force, F, on an electron inside the metal will be (without damping ) d2 x

me

dt

qE

qE 0 exp(i t )

Assuming solution to be x = x0exp(i t) Putting in the equation:

-m

2x

0exp(i

t)= qE0exp(i t)

So, x

qE me 2

Due to this displacement an oscillating dipole moment will be set up, = qx

Ne qx
1 P E 0

Ne q2E m 2
Ne q 2 me 2 0

where Ne

no. of effective free electrons / m3

Ne q 2 1 me 2 0

Ne q 2 1 me 2 0
0 0

n2

Ne q 2 1 me 2 0

where

plasma frequency
n-i

1 2

Ne q 2 me 0

If there is absorption, n
For Low frequency, <
0,

n2 is negative and n = 0 &

2 2

= +ve.

Re flection

(n 1)2 (n 1)2
>
0,

1 Metal surface is highly reflective

below plasma frequency

For High frequency,

n2 is positive and n < 1 &

= 0.

Re flection

(n 1)2 (n 1)2

1 &

1 R

Metals are partially transparent above plasma frequency.

Transmission:
Due to absorption, intensity of transmitted light will reduce as it travels through a medium.

IT

IT 0 exp(

x)

int ensity after travelling dis tan ce ' x'

here is the absorption co-efficient

I0 I0R

I0(1- R)

I0(1- R)exp(-t) IT = I0(1- R)exp(-t) I0(1- R)Rexp(-t)

I0(1- R)R exp(-t)

=I0 (1-R)2 exp(-t)

t

Quantum theory: interaction between radiation & matter

Electronic polarization: Electric field of the radiation separates the nucleus and the electron cloud and if the light frequency matches with relaxation frequency of the atoms, there is absorption. Electronic transition: If there is a energy gap between valence band and conduction band, if h (= hc/) > Eg, electrons can move from valence band to conduction band and light gets absorbed. CB If h < Eg, there is very little absorption. h If there is an impurity state inside the band gap Eimp at Eimp, electron from valence band can be Eg excited into the impurity state resulting in absorption Intra-band transition: When transition occur within VB the same band ( metals- when the valence band is Partially filled or overlapped valence band & conduction band) from lower energy state to higher energy state

 Here excitation energy is small in IR range and a phonon is involved as/ if wave vector changes As many allowed states are available, metals almost absorb all radiation , hence appear opaque. When excited electrons jump to lower energy states the absorbed energy is re-emitted, which decides the color and responsible for the shiny appearance of the metal. Al, Ag reflects all, so they appear silvery(whitish), but Au, Cu do not emit some wavelength :- blue end is absorbed and red end emitted , so they appear colored. Inter-band transition: Transition occur from valence band to conduction band. The transparency and opacity is decided by the band gap value of the material. Semiconductors are transparent to IR radiation and opaque to visible light (which is easily absorbed), as the band gap is small In insulators, due to wide band gap transition occur in the UV range, so they are transparent to other radiation.

 If other small particles are present, they scatter the radiation and complete transmission can not occur. If defects or impurities are present, allowed energy states are introduced within the gap, so either two photons are emitted, or one photon and a phonon emitted Luminescence: is the re-emission of photon of visible light due to the spontaneous transition of electrons from higher energy state to lower energy states in a material. Two types of spontaneous transitions are I ) Fluorescence :- when excited electrons have very short lifetime 10-8 s, instantaneous emission occur, till the exciting radiation is present and II) Phosphorescence :- when lifetime of excited electrons is greater than several seconds and excitation occur even after the exciting radiation is removed.

 Depending on the exciting radiation, luminescence can be classified into 1.Photoluminescence:- em radiation ,ex;- X-ray detector & florescent lamps 2.Cathodoluminescence:-bombardment of high energy electrons, ex;- cathode ray tube & TV tubes 3. Electroluminescence:- applying electric field, ex;- LD & LED

Color
If entire absorption occur uniformly, material appear colorless Due to selective absorption (excitation) & re-emission (deexcitation) of certain wavelength in the visible range, material appear colored Impurities added to materials introduce allowed energy states in the forbidden gap in between (3.1eV to 1.8eV)& provide color centers. Ex;- Cr3+ ion added to Al2O3 changes colorless pure Al2O3 to ruby