Measuring the refractive index and thickness of a thin film: an optical polarization experiment

Zeng，Xiaoqi; Chen，Ji; Wang，Xiaofeng; Shao，Mingzhen

2024-05-01

10.1088/1361-6404/ad358c

European Journal of Physics   影响因子和分区

0143-0807

1361-6404

We propose a teaching experiment for simultaneous measurement of the refractive index and thickness of a thin film. The experimental apparatus includes: a diode laser, a polarizer, a spectrometer, a photodiode and a portable digital multimeter. With the apparatus, we measure the refractive index and thickness of two thin films (a silicon dioxide film on silicon, a silicon nitride film on silicon). The maximum discrepancy between the results of our apparatus and an ellipsometer is 1.4%. The experiment described here can be used in optical polarization teaching for undergraduate sophomores and has several valuable pedagogical outcomes: (1) understanding the multi-beam interference in a film; (2) applying chi-square minimization; (3) carrying out the nonlinear curve fitting with multiple parameters.

nonlinear fitting optical polarization thin film

SCI ; EI

英语

第一 ; 通讯

20241615919873

Curve fitting ; Film thickness ; Light polarization ; Nonlinear optics ; Silica ; Silicon nitride ; Thin films

Light/Optics:741.1 ; Nonlinear Optics:741.1.1 ; Inorganic Compounds:804.2 ; Numerical Methods:921.6

PHYSICS

2-s2.0-85190172150

Scopus

Department of Physics,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China

Zeng，Xiaoqi,Chen，Ji,Wang，Xiaofeng,et al. Measuring the refractive index and thickness of a thin film: an optical polarization experiment[J]. European Journal of Physics,2024,45(3).

Zeng，Xiaoqi,Chen，Ji,Wang，Xiaofeng,&Shao，Mingzhen.(2024).Measuring the refractive index and thickness of a thin film: an optical polarization experiment.European Journal of Physics,45(3).

Zeng，Xiaoqi,et al."Measuring the refractive index and thickness of a thin film: an optical polarization experiment".European Journal of Physics 45.3(2024).