Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

IR Spectrometers01:25

IR Spectrometers

There are two main infrared (IR) spectrophotometers: dispersive IR spectrometers and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. In a dispersive IR spectrometer, a beam of infrared radiation produced by a hot wire is divided into two parallel equal-intensity beams using mirrors. One beam passes through the sample, while another is a reference beam. The beams then move through the monochromator, which separates the radiations into a continuous spectrum of different frequencies. The...
Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy01:26

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

Phase-Contrast Microscopes
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...
Focusing of Light in the Eye01:16

Focusing of Light in the Eye

Light rays enter the eye through the cornea, a transparent dome-shaped tissue that is the eye's outermost layer. The cornea bends or refracts, light rays traveling to the pupil. The shape of the cornea determines how much of the light is bent and whether the image will be focused correctly on the retina at the back of the eye. Once the light has passed through both refraction layers, it converges into a single focal point onto a small area. This is where photoreceptors start transforming...
Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy01:18

Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy

Optical microscopy uses optic principles to provide detailed images of samples. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek designed the first compound optical microscope in the 17th century to visualize blood cells, bacteria, and yeast cells. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes with enhanced magnification and resolution.
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy01:05

Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy

Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy or TIRF is an advanced microscopic technique used to visualize fluorophores in samples close to a solid surface with a higher refractive index, such as a glass coverslip. TIRF only allows fluorophores in proximity to the solid surface to be excited. When light from a medium with a lower refractive index (such as air) hits the glass coverslip at a critical angle, the light undergoes total internal reflection stead of passing through the glass.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Effects of skin thickness and skinfold compressibility on skinfold thickness measurement.

American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council·2017
Same author

Letters.

The Physician and sportsmedicine·2016
Same author

Psychoneurotics Discharged from the Canadian Army.

Canadian Medical Association journal·2010
Same author

Chronic Posttraumatic Head Symptoms.

Canadian Medical Association journal·2010
Same author

Urethral discharge as a symptom of psychiatric disorder.

Psychosomatic medicine·2010
Same author

Does Lorenz-Mie scattering theory for active particles lead to a paradox?: comment.

Applied optics·2010

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope
14:09

Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope

Published on: April 7, 2014

Refractive index measurement by interference microscopy: corrections for dispersion.

W D Ross

    Applied Optics
    |February 2, 2010
    PubMed
    Summary

    Measuring particle refractive index with microscopes can be misleading with white light if the material has strong dispersion. Apparent refractive index relates to group velocity, not phase velocity, leading to higher readings than true values.

    Area of Science:

    • Optical physics
    • Materials science
    • Crystallography

    Background:

    • Refractive index measurement is crucial for characterizing particles.
    • Microscopy techniques can determine refractive index via interference.
    • White light illumination can introduce errors in refractive index measurements for dispersive materials.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the phenomenon of apparent refractive index in particles with strong dispersion.
    • To differentiate between apparent and true refractive indices using white light microscopy.
    • To validate theoretical predictions relating apparent index to group velocity.

    Main Methods:

    • Utilized microscope equipment to measure interference patterns in transmitted light.
    • Employed white light illumination for particles with path differences of several wavelengths.

    More Related Videos

    Synthesis and Operation of Fluorescent-core Microcavities for Refractometric Sensing
    08:12

    Synthesis and Operation of Fluorescent-core Microcavities for Refractometric Sensing

    Published on: March 13, 2013

    Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source
    12:19

    Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source

    Published on: April 4, 2017

    Related Experiment Videos

    Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

    Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope
    14:09

    Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope

    Published on: April 7, 2014

    Synthesis and Operation of Fluorescent-core Microcavities for Refractometric Sensing
    08:12

    Synthesis and Operation of Fluorescent-core Microcavities for Refractometric Sensing

    Published on: March 13, 2013

    Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source
    12:19

    Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source

    Published on: April 4, 2017

  • Calculated apparent refractive index based on observed interference and compared with theoretical models.

    • Main Results:

    • Observed that strong dispersion under white light illumination leads to a significantly higher apparent refractive index than the true value.
    • Demonstrated that the apparent refractive index correlates with the group velocity of light waves.
    • Measured an apparent refractive index of 4.52 for flaky hematite crystals, aligning with theoretical expectations.

    Conclusions:

    • The apparent refractive index measured with white light is influenced by the material's dispersion and relates to group velocity.
    • True refractive index measurements require careful consideration of illumination and material properties to avoid overestimation.
    • The study confirms theoretical models and highlights the importance of distinguishing between apparent and true refractive indices in optical measurements.