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

Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

Confocal microscopy is an advanced microscopic technique. The prime advantage of the confocal microscope over other microscopy techniques is its ability to block the out-of-focus light from the illuminated samples using pinholes. It is widely used with fluorescence optics to obtain high-resolution, sharp contrast images. Unlike optical microscopes, confocal microscopes use a focused beam of light laser to scan the entire sample surface at different z-planes. These microscopes are, therefore,...

Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been developed.

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.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Nature of Metallic and Insulating Domains in the Charge-Density-Wave System 1T-TaSe_{2}.

Physical review letters·2025

Same author

The Surface-Topography Challenge: A Multi-Laboratory Benchmark Study to Advance the Characterization of Topography.

Tribology letters·2025

Same author

"Design of a Suspension Lever Mechanism in Biomedical Robotic System".

Frontiers in robotics and AI·2022

Same author

Dynamically induced friction reduction in micro-structured interfaces.

Scientific reports·2021

Same author

A single-crystal diamond X-ray pixel detector with embedded graphitic electrodes.

Journal of synchrotron radiation·2020

Same author

Water entry and fall of hydrophobic and superhydrophobic Teflon spheres.

Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal·2018

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals

Published on: May 29, 2018

Liquid crystal director dynamics imaged using two-photon fluorescence microscopy with remote focusing.

P S Salter¹, G Carbone, E J Botcherby

¹Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, United Kingdom. patrick.salter@eng.ox.ac.uk

Physical Review Letters

|April 7, 2010

Summary

We developed a new remote focusing imaging method to observe liquid crystal director field dynamics. This technique captures fast axial changes, revealing transient states and topological shifts during voltage-induced switching.

More Related Videos

High-Throughput Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence and Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy Using a Photonic Chip

High-Throughput Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence and Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy Using a Photonic Chip

Published on: November 16, 2019

Conducting Multiple Imaging Modes with One Fluorescence Microscope

Conducting Multiple Imaging Modes with One Fluorescence Microscope

Published on: October 28, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals

Published on: May 29, 2018

High-Throughput Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence and Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy Using a Photonic Chip

High-Throughput Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence and Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy Using a Photonic Chip

Published on: November 16, 2019

Conducting Multiple Imaging Modes with One Fluorescence Microscope

Conducting Multiple Imaging Modes with One Fluorescence Microscope

Published on: October 28, 2018

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Optics
Liquid Crystal Physics

Background:

Understanding liquid crystal (LC) director field dynamics is crucial for display technologies and optical devices.
Resolving rapid axial changes in LC orientation has been a significant challenge in optical imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a novel remote focusing imaging technique for high-resolution axial dynamics observation in liquid crystals.
To demonstrate the technique's capability by imaging the dynamic evolution of a nematic liquid crystal director field under an applied voltage.

Main Methods:

Development of a novel imaging technique utilizing remote focusing.
Application of the technique to an initially splayed nematic liquid crystal layer subjected to a sudden voltage pulse.
Direct imaging of the director field's axial evolution and switching dynamics.

Main Results:

Achieved high axial time resolution, enabling direct visualization of dynamic processes.
Observed transient state director configurations during the switching process.
Revealed changes in the topology of the liquid crystal layer in response to electrical stimuli.

Conclusions:

The novel remote focusing imaging technique effectively resolves axial dynamics in liquid crystal director fields.
The method provides unprecedented insights into transient states and topological evolution during LC switching.
This technique has significant potential for advancing the study and application of liquid crystals.