Interband optical transition strengths in SiO2, GeO2, SnO2 and TiO2

An analysis of interband optical transition strengths for a series of MO₂ oxides is presented which gives clear evidence for a direct proportionality between transition strengths (as measured by the dispersion energy) and nearest-neighbor cation coordination number. It is also found that neither the extent of O2p orbital delocalization nor the d-electron configuration has a strong influence on transition strengths suggestin that these strengths can be viewed, to a good approximation, as intrinsic properties of valence s,p-electrons which are largely independent of band structure details.