Optical Properties of

Materials
Learning Objectives
Briefly describe the fundamental response of materials
to electromagnetic radiation specifically light
Explain reflection and refraction
Explain the difference between Fluorescence and
photoluminescence
Basic Concepts
Electromagnetic radiation
Considered to be wave-like, consisting of electric and
magnetic field components that are perpendicular to
each other and also to the direction of propagation
Velocity of light

c  
Where c is the velocity of light (3x108 m/s, λ (in
meters) is the wavelength of light and ν (in hertz or
cycles per seconds)is the frequency of light
Photons
Quantized energy of light

E  hf
Where E is the energy of the photon; h is the planck’s
constant which has a value of 6.63 x 10-34 Js; f is the
frequency of the photon
In essence, light can be considered to have wave-
particle duality. Light can behave as a wave represented
by electromagnetic radiation and as a particle
represented by photon
Light interaction with solids
When light with intensity Io proceeds from one
medium to another, 3 process might happen:
Some of the light will be transmitted through the
medium (T = It/Io)
Some of the light will be reflected (R=Ir/Io)
Some of the light will be absorbed (A= Ia/Io)

T  A R 1
Where
T = It/Io fraction of light transmitted though the medium
R=Ir/Io fraction of light reflected from the medium
A= Ia/Io fraction of light absorbed by the medium
Transparent materials
Materials that are capable of transmitting light with
relatively little absorption and reflection
Translucent materials
Light is scattered within the interior
 Opaque
Materials that are impervious to the transmission of
visible light
Refraction
Phenomenon wherein light that is transmitted into the
interior of transparent materials experiences a decrease
in velocity, and, as a result, is bent at the interface
Index of Refraction n
c
n
v
Ratio of the velocity in a vacuum c to the velocity in the
medium ν
Examples of Refraction
Dispersion of light from glass prism
Rainbow
Reflectivity is defined as the fraction of the incident
light reflected at the interface
Absorbance
 x
It  I oe
Where It is the intensity of the transmitted light not
absorbed;Io is the intensity of light from the source ;β is
the absorption coefficient and x is the distance traversed
by the light from the surface
Transmission

IT  I o 1  R e
2
  x
Luminiscence
Phenomenon wherein the absorbed energy of the
material is reemitted as visible light. The interval
between absorption of energy and reemission of light is
less than 1 second
Phosphorescence
The interval between absorption and reemission is
greater than 1 second