Table 1. Mass density, atomic composition and refractive index for a selection of optical media.
The material constants were taken from Bergh et al. (2008 ▸), Molla et al. (1991 ▸) and Dans et al. (1966 ▸), and the refractive index was calculated from these values with the relationship given by (10).
| Material type | Density (g cm−3) | Atomic composition | Refractive index (λ = 1.240 nm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 1.00 |
|
|
| Protein | 1.35 |
|
|
| DNA | 1.70 |
|
|
| Lipid | 1.00 |
|
|
| Cell | 1.00 |
|
|
| Poliovirus particle | 1.34 |
|
|