Enhanced Full Spectral Temperature‐Dependent Refractive Index of Liquid Water From Supercooled to Ambient Conditions

Abstract A new compilation of the complex refractive index of liquid water is presented, spanning temperatures from (near homogeneous freezing) to K and wavelengths from μm to 10 m. The real part of the refractive index is derived using the Kramers–Kronig relation, where the imaginary part is constrained by measurements reported in literature and validated through the f‐sum rule. The result reveals a significant temperature dependence, especially at wavelengths beyond the near‐infrared. Sensitivity analyses in the infrared split‐window and microwave spectral regime demonstrate substantial differences in bulk optical properties between supercooled and ambient conditions. These findings manifest the importance of accounting for temperature‐dependent refractive indices in optical radiative transfer and simulations.

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Publication Details

Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
Published
2026-03-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gl119385
Primary Topic
Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Enhanced Full Spectral Temperature‐Dependent Refractive Index of Liquid Water From Supercooled to Ambient Conditions

Helen Brindley, Xianglei Huang, Ping Xian Yang, Siheng Wang et al.
Geophysical Research Letters
Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
article

Enhanced Full Spectral Temperature‐Dependent Refractive Index of Liquid Water From Supercooled to Ambient Conditions

Helen Brindley, Xianglei Huang, Ping Xian Yang, Siheng Wang, Tristan S. L'Ecuyer
article en

Abstract

Abstract A new compilation of the complex refractive index of liquid water is presented, spanning temperatures from (near homogeneous freezing) to K and wavelengths from μm to 10 m. The real part of the refractive index is derived using the Kramers–Kronig relation, where the imaginary part is constrained by measurements reported in literature and validated through the f‐sum rule. The result reveals a significant temperature dependence, especially at wavelengths beyond the near‐infrared. Sensitivity analyses in the infrared split‐window and microwave spectral regime demonstrate substantial differences in bulk optical properties between supercooled and ambient conditions. These findings manifest the importance of accounting for temperature‐dependent refractive indices in optical radiative transfer and simulations.

Geophysical Research LettersVol. 53(6)
University of Wisconsin–Madison (US), University of Michigan (US), National Centre for Earth Observation (GB), Imperial College London (GB), Texas A&M University (US)
Clean water and sanitation
Openalex Percentile: Top 20%
Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
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