Can refractive index of a substance be increased?

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SUMMARY

The refractive index of a substance can indeed be increased significantly, particularly near an absorption line where the index becomes very high if the absorption line is narrow. Additionally, nonlinear optics allows for the tuning of the refractive index at one frequency through the use of a laser operating at a different frequency. This phenomenon opens up possibilities for creating materials with extremely high refractive indices, potentially in the order of hundreds or more.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of refractive index and its measurement
  • Familiarity with absorption lines in optics
  • Knowledge of nonlinear optics principles
  • Basic concepts of laser operation and frequency tuning
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of nonlinear optics and its applications
  • Explore the concept of absorption lines and their impact on refractive index
  • Investigate materials that exhibit high refractive indices
  • Learn about laser frequency tuning techniques and their effects on optical properties
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Optical physicists, materials scientists, and engineers working in photonics or optical engineering will benefit from this discussion.

aditya23456
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or is it possible to create a material with very high refractive index(order of 100's or more)
 
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Yes, the index of refraction becomes very high near an absorption line. If the absorption line is very narrow, the index of refraction becomes very high. There are other possibilities as well, e.g. using nonlinear optics the refractive index at one frequency can be tuned by a laser operating at another frequency.
See also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_light
 

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