Reflection-based refractive index measurement of van der Waals materials

We present a reflection-based method for measuring the in-plane refractive index of transparent van der Waals (vdW) materials. The approach enables the characterization of as small as 10 μm² exfoliated flakes on a non-transmissive substrate without assuming any specific spectral shape of the refractive index. Exfoliated flakes are most commonly obtained through mechanical exfoliation, which generally produces vdW flakes with tens-of-micron lateral dimensions. As a result, conventional ellipsometry-which depends on large, uniform areas, and specific spectral models-becomes challenging to apply. Our method determines the refractive index directly from the spectral position of reflection minima, provided the flake thickness and the substrate complex refractive index are known. We demonstrate the technique on hafnium disulfide (HfS₂), a vdW semiconductor with high refractive index and low absorption, retrieving its in-plane refractive index across the visible range. The results both validate previous ellipsometry measurements and establish this method as an accessible and spectral-model-free alternative for refractive index characterization of vdW materials.