REFRACTIVE-INDEX OF Y2O3 STABILIZED CUBIC ZIRCONIA - VARIATION WITH COMPOSITION AND WAVELENGTH

Previous measurements of refractive index vs wavelength for cubic zirconia were extended to include the variation of index with Y2O3 stabilizer concentration. It was found that a three-term Sellmeier formula fitsthe index data for each concentration to within˜1 X 10-4 and that the Sellmeier constants have a nonlineardependence on concentration but do follow the density. Fitting each of the six Sellmeier constants to a three-term polynomial provides a set of eighteen coefficients sufficient to calculate the index at any wavelength, forany concentration. Conversely, the Y2O3concentration can be determined from the refractive index withgreater accuracy than by chemical analysis.Key words:cubic zirconia, refractive index. © 1990 Optical Society of America.