Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy

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.

Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) Infrared Spectroscopy: Overview

Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) Infrared Spectroscopy: Overview

Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) infrared spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique used to study the composition of materials. It is widely employed in chemistry, materials science, forensic science, and other fields where sample characterization is required. ATR has several advantages over traditional transmission IR spectroscopy, including the requirement of little to no sample preparation and the ability to analyze a wide range of samples.
The ATR process begins by directing a beam...

Introspection

Introspection

Introspection, long upheld as a reliable route to self-knowledge, involves examining one's thoughts, emotions, and mental processes. It underpins many psychological practices, from mindfulness meditation to psychotherapy and self-help strategies. However, empirical evidence challenges the accuracy of introspection as a means of understanding oneself.Limitations of Introspective InsightSeminal work by Nisbett and Wilson demonstrated that individuals are frequently unaware of the true causes...

Reflection of Waves

Reflection of Waves

When a wave travels from one medium to another, it gets reflected at the boundary of the second medium. A common example of this is when a person yells at a distance from a cliff and hears the echo of their voice. The sound waves (longitudinal waves) traveling in the air are reflected from the bounding cliff. Similarly, flipping one end of a string whose other end is tied to a wall causes a pulse (transverse wave) to travel through the string, which gets reflected upon reaching the wall. In...

The Looking Glass Self

The Looking Glass Self

The concept of the looking-glass self describes how an individual's self-concept is shaped by their perception of how others see them. This psychological theory, first introduced by sociologist Charles Horton Cooley in 1902, posits that self-identity emerges in a social context and is influenced by the judgments—real or imagined—of others.Research suggests that individuals frequently overestimate how positively others perceive them. This is particularly evident in physical self-perception,...

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Reflection and transmission of plane unbounded electromagnetic waves at an absorbing-nonabsorbing interface with numerical calculations for an ocean-air interface.

Applied optics·2010

Same author

Focal plans diffraction anomalies in telescopic systems.

Journal of the Optical Society of America·2010

Same author

A special method for precise refractive index measurement of uniaxial optical media.

Applied optics·2010

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Nanotopology of Cell Adhesion upon Variable-Angle Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy (VA-TIRFM)

Nanotopology of Cell Adhesion upon Variable-Angle Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy (VA-TIRFM)

Published on: October 2, 2012

Total internal reflection: a deeper look.

A I Mahan, C V Bitterli

|March 4, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study presents a new solution for total internal reflection, detailing radiant flux and wave behavior at interfaces. It clarifies complex processes and answers long-standing questions about light propagation.

More Related Videos

In Situ Visualization of the Phase Behavior of Oil Samples Under Refinery Process Conditions

In Situ Visualization of the Phase Behavior of Oil Samples Under Refinery Process Conditions

Published on: February 21, 2017

Oligomerization Dynamics of Cell Surface Receptors in Living Cells by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy Combined with Number and Brightness Analysis

Oligomerization Dynamics of Cell Surface Receptors in Living Cells by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy Combined with Number and Brightness Analysis

Published on: November 6, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Nanotopology of Cell Adhesion upon Variable-Angle Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy (VA-TIRFM)

Nanotopology of Cell Adhesion upon Variable-Angle Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy (VA-TIRFM)

Published on: October 2, 2012

In Situ Visualization of the Phase Behavior of Oil Samples Under Refinery Process Conditions

In Situ Visualization of the Phase Behavior of Oil Samples Under Refinery Process Conditions

Published on: February 21, 2017

Oligomerization Dynamics of Cell Surface Receptors in Living Cells by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy Combined with Number and Brightness Analysis

Oligomerization Dynamics of Cell Surface Receptors in Living Cells by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy Combined with Number and Brightness Analysis

Published on: November 6, 2019

Area of Science:

Electromagnetism
Optics
Wave Propagation

Background:

Total internal reflection (TIR) is a fundamental optical phenomenon.
Existing models often simplify the complex wave behavior at the interface.
Understanding instantaneous and time-averaged radiant flux is crucial for advanced optical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a Maxwellian boundary-type solution for TIR with unbounded incident waves.
To determine instantaneous, time-varying, and time-averaged radiant fluxes in two nonabsorbing media.
To elucidate the physical processes and properties of inhomogeneous waves during TIR.

Main Methods:

Developed a Maxwellian boundary-type solution for TIR.
Analyzed s and p polarizations, ensuring continuity of tangential E and H components and normal radiant flux.
Derived equations for flow lines and analyzed radiant flux behavior along them.

Main Results:

Identified unusual reflection and refraction processes at the interface.
Observed curved flow lines in the second medium, with mirrored boundary conditions upon return.
Demonstrated that incident planes of constant radiant flux and phase generate reflected planes despite complex behavior in the second medium.

Conclusions:

The study provides detailed functions for E and H fields and radiant fluxes in the second medium.
The findings offer insights into the physical mechanisms underlying TIR.
This work clarifies the role and properties of inhomogeneous waves in TIR phenomena.