The Material Database allows you to manage (create, modify, delete) the materials that are available for use in your simulations. The Material Database window can be opened by clicking the Materials button at the top left of the FDTD toolbar:
The Material Database allows for the definition of complex materials using experimental data or parametrized models. The Material Database stores the material data to be used in the simulation. It also provides an interface to change material properties like color, mesh order, and model parameters. Experimental data can also be loaded into the database. To view the refractive index as a function of frequency, use the Material Explorer.
Default Material Database
The default optical material database includes refractive index data for a number of common materials. When creating a new simulation, the default database will be loaded. The default materials cannot be edited directly. However, if you wish to modify one of the default materials, a copy of the material needs to be created, which can then be edited.
Materials in the Default Material Database
The following materials are included in the default material database.
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik
Material | Reference |
---|---|
Ag (Silver) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Al (Aluminum) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Al2O3 (Aluminum Oxide) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Au (Gold) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Cr (Chromium) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Cu (Copper) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Fe (Iron) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Ge (Germanium) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
H2O (Water) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
In (Indium) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
InAs (Indium Arsenide) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
InP (Indium Phosphide) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Ni (Nickel) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Pd (Palladium) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Pt (Platinum) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Rh (Rhodium) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Si (Silicon) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
SiO2 (Glass) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Sn (Tin) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
Ti (Titanium) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
TiN (Titanium Nitride) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
W (Tungsten) |
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids I - III by E. Palik |
CRC Handbook of Chemistry & Physics
Material | Reference |
---|---|
Ag (Silver) |
Hagemann, H. J., Gudat, W., and Kunz, C., J. Opt. Soc. Am., 65, 742, 1975 |
Al (Aluminum) |
Shiles, E., Sasaki, T., Inokuti, M., and Smith, D. Y., Phys. Rev. Sect. B, 22, 1612, 1980 |
Au (Gold) |
Olson, C. G., Lynch, D. W., and Weaver, J. H., unpublished |
Cr (Chromium) |
Bos, L. W., and Lynch, D. W., Phys. Rev. Sect. B, 2, 4567, 1970 |
Cu (Copper) |
Hagemann, H. J., Gudat, W., and Kunz, C., J. Opt. Soc. Am., 65, 742, 1975 |
Fe (Iron) |
Weaver, J. H., Colavita, E., Lynch, D. W., and Rosei, R., Phys. Rev. Sect. B, 19, 3850, 1979 |
Ge (Germanium) |
Potter, R. F., in HOC-I, p.465 |
Ni (Nickel) |
Lynch, D. W., Rosei, R., and Weaver, J. H., Solid State Commun., 9, 2195, 1971 |
Ta (Tantalum) |
Weaver, J. H., Lynch, D. W., and Olson, D. G., Phys. Rev. Sect. B, 10, 501, 1973 |
Ti (Titanium) |
Johnson, P. B., and Christy, R. W., Phys. Rev. Sect. B, 9, 5056, 1974 |
V (Vanadium) |
Olson, C. G., Lynch, D. W., and Weaver, J. H., unpublished |
W (Tungsten)
|
Weaver, J. H., Lynch, D. W., and Olson, C. G., Phys. Rev. Sect. B, 12, 1293, 1975 |
Johnson and Christy
Material | Reference |
---|---|
Ag (Silver) |
Johnson and Christy, "Optical Constants of Noble metals", Phys Rev B, 6, 4370, (1972) |
Au (Gold) |
Johnson and Christy, "Optical Constants of Noble metals", Phys Rev B, 6, 4370, (1972) |
Liquid Crystal Materials
Material | Reference |
---|---|
5CB - Li |
Li, J., "Refractive Indices Of Liquid Crystals And Their Applications In Display And Photonic Devices", Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Central Florida, 2004-2019, 4460 (2005) |
5PCH - Li |
Li, J., "Refractive Indices Of Liquid Crystals And Their Applications In Display And Photonic Devices", Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Central Florida, 2004-2019, 4460 (2005) |
6241-000 - Li |
Li, J., "Refractive Indices Of Liquid Crystals And Their Applications In Display And Photonic Devices", Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Central Florida, 2004-2019, 4460 (2005) |
E44 - Li |
Li, J., "Refractive Indices Of Liquid Crystals And Their Applications In Display And Photonic Devices", Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Central Florida, 2004-2019, 4460 (2005) |
E7 - Li |
Li, J., "Refractive Indices Of Liquid Crystals And Their Applications In Display And Photonic Devices", Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Central Florida, 2004-2019, 4460 (2005) |
MLC-6608 - Li |
Li, J., "Refractive Indices Of Liquid Crystals And Their Applications In Display And Photonic Devices", Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Central Florida, 2004-2019, 4460 (2005) |
MLC-9200-000 - Li |
Li, J., "Refractive Indices Of Liquid Crystals And Their Applications In Display And Photonic Devices", Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Central Florida, 2004-2019, 4460 (2005) |
MLC-9200-100 - Li |
Li, J., "Refractive Indices Of Liquid Crystals And Their Applications In Display And Photonic Devices", Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Central Florida, 2004-2019, 4460 (2005) |
TL-216 - Li |
Li, J., "Refractive Indices Of Liquid Crystals And Their Applications In Display And Photonic Devices", Electronic Theses and Dissertations, University of Central Florida, 2004-2019, 4460 (2005) |
Other
Material | Reference |
---|---|
PEC (Perfect Electrical Conductor) |
|
C (graphene) - Falkovsky (mid-IR) |
|
Graphene |
|
Si3N4 (Silicon Nitride) - Phillip |
H. R. Philipp. Optical properties of silicon nitride, J. Electrochim. Soc. 120, 295-300 (1973) |
Si3N4 (Silicon Nitride) - Kischkat |
J. Kischkat et al, Appl. Opt. 51, 6789-6798 (2012) |
Si3N4 (Silicon Nitride) - Luke |
K. Luke, Y. Okawachi, M. R. E. Lamont, A. L. Gaeta, M. Lipson. Broadband mid-infrared frequency comb generation in a Si3N4 microresonator, Opt. Lett. 40, 4823-4826 (2015) |
TiO2 (Titanium Dioxide) - Kischkat |
J. Kischkat, S. Peters, B. Gruska, M. Semtsiv, M. Chashnikova, M. Klinkmüller, O. Fedosenko, S. Machulik, A. Aleksandrova, G. Monastyrskyi, Y. Flores, and W. T. Masselink. Mid-infrared optical properties of thin films of aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum nitride, and silicon nitride, Appl. Opt. 51, 6789-6798 (2012) |
TiO2 (Titanium Dioxide) - Sarkar |
S. Sarkar, V. Gupta, M. Kumar, J. Schubert, P.T. Probst, J. Joseph, T.A.F. König, Hybridized guided-mode resonances via colloidal plasmonic self-assembled grating, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 11, 13752-13760 (2019) |
TiO2 (Titanium Dioxide) - Siefke |
T. Siefke, S. Kroker, K. Pfeiffer, O. Puffky, K. Dietrich, D. Franta, I. Ohlídal, A. Szeghalmi, E.-B. Kley, A. Tünnermann. Materials pushing the application limits of wire grid polarizers further into the deep ultraviolet spectral range, Adv. Opt. Mater. 4, 1780–1786 (2016) |
TiO2 (Titanium Dioxide) - Devore |
J. R. Devore. Refractive indices of rutile and sphalerite, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 41, 416-419 (1951) |
Modifying the Default Material Database
These instructions describe how to create a new Default material database. To modify the default materials that appear when you create a new simulation:
- Locate the defaults sub-directory of the installation. By default it will be located at:
- Windows: C:\Program Files\Lumerical\<version>\defaults
- Linux: /opt/lumerical/<version>/defaults
- Mac: /Applications/Lumerical/<version>.app /Contents/Applications/FDTD\ Solutions.app/Contents/Resources/defaults
- Copy the default simulation file to your desktop. Optionally, you may also want to make a backup of this file.
- Open the file on your desktop and make all required modifications to the material database in this file. This might include deleting unused materials and creating new materials.
- Copy this file back into the defaults sub-directory. This generally requires Administrator access.
- Next time you start the product, the updated material database should appear automatically.
Note:
- Materials currently used in the simulation cannot be deleted. If the material is being used in the current project, a no delete icon will indicate that the material can be modified but not erased. To delete these materials, first modify the simulation so they are not used.
- The Base Material property is only used for plugin material models.
- The revert to base material for conformal mesh cells property allows the user to use conformal mesh cells from the base material for plugin materials. For more information, see mesh refinement options and non-linear simulation methodology.
III-V Semiconductor Optical Materials
Optical material data for certain ternary and quaternary III-V semiconductor can be generated from theoretical models using the tool provided on the III-V Semiconductor Optical Material Data Tool page.
See Also
Material Explorer, Getting material data from the database, Modifying material fits, Creating anisotropic materials, Material permittivity models, Advanced material models (plugins)