Optical properties of liquid aluminum and Al-Ce alloy

The Beattie ellipsometric method is used La investigate the index of refraction and the absorption coefficient of liquid aluminum and Al-3 at. % Ce alloy in the wavelength range from 0.44 to 2.3 mum at a temperature of 1173 K. The experimental results are used to calculate the dispersion dependences of light conductance, reflectivity, and functions of characteristic loss of electron energy. The results of measurements in the infrared (IR) spectrum are used to determine the concentration of conduction electrons, plasma frequency, relaxation frequency, and the limiting light conductance. It turns out that an addition of 3 at. % Ce to aluminum causes almost no change in the concentration of charge carriers, whereas the relaxation frequency increases, which leads to a decrease in the electrical conductivity of the liquid alloy.