Method of determining dispersion dependence of refractive index of nanospheres building opals

Abstract The method of determining dispersion dependence of refractive index of nanospheres building opals is presented. In this method basing on angular dependences of the spectral positions of Bragg diffraction minima on transmission spectra for opal series of known spheres diameter, the spectrum of effective refractive index for opals and then refractive index for material building opal's spheres is determined. The described procedure is used for determination of n eff (λ) for opals and n sph (λ) for material which spheres building investigated opals are made of. The obtained results are compared with literature data of n SiO2 ( λ ) considered in the analysis and interpretation of extremes related to the light diffraction at ( hkl ) SiO 2 opal planes.