Interband Faraday rotation in liquids: band parameter determination

Abstract

The band energy gap (E_g) and disorder parameter (z) as defined by Mort and Scher, have been determined for 11 liquids, using optical and magneto-optical dispersion data. It was found that the Kolodziejczak–Lax–Nishina, Boswarva–Howard–Lidiard and Mort–Scher formulae, currently used for describing the Faraday rotation in solids, can also be successfully extended to the liquid state. We obtained values of E_g, calculated by the method of Mort and Scher, from 5.45 eV for carbon disulfide up to 11.4 eV for methanol, and disorder parameters that range between 0.21 for benzene and 0.36 for methanol. These low values for z indicate that direct interband transitions are involved in the Faraday rotation of the liquids we studied. Good agreement was observed between the values of E_g calculated by the different methods.