complex refractive index

The complex refractive index describes how light interacts with a material. It has two parts: the real part, which indicates how much the material bends or slows down light (refraction), and the imaginary part, which shows how much the material absorbs or dims the light as it passes through. Together, these components help scientists understand both how light propagates within the material and how much energy it loses. This concept is essential for designing optical devices like lenses, coatings, and sensors, and provides a comprehensive picture of a material's optical behavior.